Kieran

Identity Photoshoot #2

The photos displayed above are the 6 best from my second and final photoshoot of the identity project.

In this photoshoot I aimed to focus more on the facial expressions whilst in the gym rather than the whole body or someone looking in the mirror. This is because I realized this conveyed more emotion and sort of “showed without telling” what was going on. For instance in the top middle photo you can see that it looks like the subject is lifting something heavy by his facial expression of struggle and looking down. Whereas in the bottom middle photo you can tell he isn’t lifting anything as his face is neutral and expressionless, implying he isn’t doing anything strenuous at all.

I tried to create a story with this set, as a sort of progression of how someone may look in the gym. With someone starting out happy or neutral, as depicted in the bottom right, and then moving on to struggling, fighting to get that last rep in and make ones progress worth it. Proving to themselves that it’s possible, that weight can be lifted, regardless of how one got there.

I also opted for a monotone color palette as I feel it accentuates the contrast the light makes. As half of the subjects face is lit up whilst half of it isn’t. This was to signify an inner contrast, a sort of struggle within someone. I wanted to highlight that inner turmoil there may be in some people. Especially those in the gym or attempting to improve upon themselves in some way. Half content with how things are, and another half striving for greatness, in an ever lasting attempt to become more, to mean more.

I think this photoshoot overall was much more successful than my previous one in terms of both meaning and skill. The photos have turned out much better and are more related as the previous shoots’ photos were more of a variety, whereas these are a dedicated set of six. As well as I was able to take photos in such a way that they related better to the meaning of the project itself. I think all in all I have succeeded in what I have set out to do and that this is some of my best work yet.

Photoshoot #1

April 23, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

The photos shown above were the best photos that I had taken from my practice / first photoshoot of the identity project. It stayed consistent with the theme of self improvement and the gym and features a variety of ideas. However I think some photos had more success than others. My favorite and probably best photo of the 4 shown here is the one in the top right which features a close up of the subject with half of his face being covered in light and the other being dark in contrast. This helps aid to the notion of conflicting emotions and puts further emphasis onto the face. This could be better in future photographs by including different facial expressions that could show struggle, joy, discomfort, etc. All emotions that could tell a story or mimic the actions one does in the gym, such as being in the middle of a set or being happy after hitting a PR. All in all I think my first photoshoot gave me a clearer pathway for what I would like to focus in my future shoots and has definitely been beneficial in improving my photographs and the deeper meanings of them.

MoodBoard

March 28, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

Inspiration & Statement of Intent

March 25, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

Inspirations:

Martin Schoeller:
Known for his close up photos of athletes and other celebrities, I would like to take inspiration from this as I think showing expression or reaction to something in the form of a close up image of the face could be quite powerful.

Influencers such as Joe Fazer and David Laid:
These are people who have gained huge success after creating youtube channels centered around their transformation over time due to the gym, which has similar themes to what I would like to incorporate into my piece.

Mirror photography:
Another inspiration that I would want to take from and incorporate into my piece is mirror photography. This is because I feel there are many possibilities and ideas that can come from this, such as a person looking in and seeing someone they want to be, were, or are becoming. This could provide motivation and have a profound effect on the viewer.

Statement of Intent:

The title of this project is “Phoenix” as i want the general idea to be someone being “reborn” into an improved version of themself, one that happens as a result of going to the gym. Exploring the reasons why people go to the gym and what they get out of it. I will take inspiration from many photographers like Martin Schoeller to express emotion, influencers such as David Laid to show improvement and development through hard work, as well as the use of mirrors to show change and the desire for improvement. Overall i want to invoke a feeling of motivation in the viewer, to motivate them to become better, be better, do better.

Focus

March 20, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

For the focus of my identity project I wanted to explore the ideas of the gym and why people go there. Whether it’s to look better, feel better, distract them from something, or just for fun. My goal is to showcase all of these ideas and possibilities through photos that show movement and expression through the way it’s framed and what’s in the composition that creates these ideas. i also want to invoke a feeling of inspiration and understanding from a viewer that could understand why someone might do something and possibly feel inspired by those reasons or the end result.

Mind Map

March 20, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

What is a portrait?

March 13, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

A portrait is usually an image that includes a singular person that is the main subject of the image. For example a selfie would be a self-portrait as it is a photo that has a person in the frame as the subject of the photo. There are also many “rules” that come with portraits, such as the rule of thirds, making sure your subject is sufficiently lighted, usually with the light coming in from the side rather than head on, and also you would usually want to have the subject wear different colored clothes than what the color of the background is. Following these rules or guidelines are sure to make your portraits looks as good as they can be.

Portraits can also be close ups of faces, rather than the head and body as well. This just shows the dynamism of portraits and the vast amount of possibilities there are in just this one type of photo. However this is not the only dynamic part of portraits themselves, as you can also create sets of portraits that feature a person multiple times over a short period of time to create a set. A portrait also doesn’t need to contain a person, as it could have a part of someone like someone’s feet kicking with a football, or an animal instead. Overall portraits are a very diverse category of image and there are more possibilities than you think.

Michael Kenna 798 Abstract Photography

March 10, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

An artist I have found that inspires me and has a similar style to my 798 photos is Michael Kenna. He is an English photographer that is known for his black and white landscape photographs that really zone in on the subject in question. I have decided to choose him as i think my photos have the same general idea but with architecture as the subject rather than more natural ones, like trees or water.

Some photos from Michael Kenna:

All of his images seem to have similar characteristics, like the black and white, the lone subject, the accentuated shadow, and the occasional towering lone figure in a vast plain of nothingness. Creating an imposing and chilling feeling that one might feel when looking at the image. As well as painting a bleak yet beautiful picture about our world.

I would like to highlight this picture in particular as it seems to have all of these characteristics. It has the lone lamp pole standing out from the fog, the only true figure in the photo as everything else is either fog or ground. It also definitely has that imposing feeling you get from the lamp pole being the tallest piece of the picture. I think the photo is also very sharp and focused, something that I like to see and emulate in my photos as I don’t really like blurry or unclear photos. All in all I really like Michael Kenna’s photos and think they match my style of photography shown in my 798 photos just with an architectural twist.

Speaking of 798…

Here were my 20 yellow photos that I took when I was there. They all incorporate architecture, manipulate angles, and are sharply focused that combine to create a sense of imposition

Next are the green images which were the better 10 of the former 20 that I felt more accurately represented my vision and goal for these photos.

Above are my unedited red photos, the top 3 and best photos that match my vision and incorporate all of the values and characteristics i intended to include.

Above are my final and edited red photos. The best versions of the 3 best photos I took whilst at 798. I tried to go for a sort of retro theme with these photos. Making 2 black and white and editing them to make the edges be more pronounced, and making one seem like it was taken on an old camcorder or found on a vhs tape. With the yellow coloring and grainy effect culminating to add to the photo. All in all I think these are pretty good photos that i was able to effectively use and display. I also think these are similar to Michael Kenna’s images as they have a heavy focus on the architecture of the buildings and their framing within the photo. Having taken the photos from a lower view, creating the effect that the buildings are tall and imposing. Which was also part of my initial goals. The black and white was also another effect added to be more akin to Michael Kenna’s photos as well. As well as it helps keep the attention on the subject themselves and make the edges seem more pronounced.

Yellow Green & Red

February 27, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

Above are my yellow photos. These were the 27 best photos of the ~350 I took and all seem to have a similar theme of focusing on either architecture or lighting. With many photos being framed in such a way to emphasize the already present angles.

These are my green photos. They are the best 9 of the previous 27 that I think match my statement of intent and are the best looking ones that have the best framing, most accentuated angles, and supreme lighting.

These are my red photos that I ultimately decided were the best ones that fit my statement of intent of focusing on architecture and showcases my ability to take certain types of photos intentionally and my eye for detail.

These are the final edits of my red photos, I aimed to give them a grainy effect and make them seem like they were taken on older film. I also used different hues for each photo, with the black and white ones as well as the singular yellowish one. I felt that this added to the retro theme and really puts a focus on the architecture and framing of the photos themselves. Rather than diverting attention to the sky or the colors. This also matches with the artist that I decided to emulate as her photos are also usually black and white. Overall I think these photos are a good representation of where I am currently at in terms of skill with a camera and photoshop and I hope I can make more photos like these.

My Vision

February 5, 2024 / Kieran / 0 Comments

Artist: Angie McMonigal

Characteristics;
McMonigal uses a lot of perspective and shadow in her photos to create an abstract composition. She also uses lighting and framing to her advantage to make an object look like something else, which can be seen especially in the stairwell photo as it sort of looks like a lotus flower, when in actuality it’s just a staircase. McMonigal also uses a lot of existing structures, with the only thing she changes being how she positions herself and the lighting. I have chosen Mcmonigal as I really like her photos and hope to emulate them and their uniqueness. As well as they just seem incredibly clean and precise.

“-to create something that defines their work, something that allows a feeling of accomplishment and portrays a piece of themselves and how they see the world.” A quote, that i think i can relate to and really admire.

Photo Evaluation:

I chose this image to evaluate as I really liked the way McMonigal framed the building to seem like it’s leaning over the camera, adding an intimidating effect that is backed up by the clouded sun (I think) in the background being covered by its size. As well as the decision to make the photo black and white really caught my eyes.

The most important formal element of art in my opinion is the composition itself. The placement of the building, the framing and angle the photo was taken at. As well as the focus, the sharpness, and the black and white filter. There is also a sense of balance as the building is placed quite evenly in the middle and the sun in the background is as well. All of these culminate to create a powerful and imposing image that really catches the eye. These photos are pretty abstract as they use simple buildings and transform them by altering the composition into something that looks completely different. With some of the photos being up to interpretation as well. I don’t think it has the most “meaning” but it definitely makes people think.

My favorite part about McMonigal’s style is the framing. The buildings are always posed in such an aesthetically pleasing way that I just want to keep looking at her photos. More and more enamored by the direction her photos go in. I also hope to incorporate this into my work by using her idea of framing and changing the angle rather than the subject. As well as possibly making some photos black and white, all whilst making sure every photo is focused and looks sharp.

Revised Statement of Intent:

The beauty of Angles

My vision is to mainly use different angles and perspectives in my photos to capture the audience. I will attempt to take photos in the style of McMonigal and emulate her work which incorporates a variety of perspectives, angles, and framing to create a sense of abstractness to her photos.

It is what it is.