Theme

For my final set, I have been able to create a clear alphabet, with letters from A through Z, using the human body. I have selected photos that most clearly represent each letter and also show consistent contrast. With this final set, I want my audience to reflect on the potential that the human body has to move and mold itself into different shapes. I want the audience to think about their own body and how their everyday movements might have meaning. However, the model that I used is a trained ballet dancer, and many of her positions are unachievable for most people, so the audience is also in awe of the skill and flexibility that this body has. I believe my final set showcases the fundamental technique, creativity, and methods of ballet dancers that I have always admired.

Connecting

By using only one person in my human alphabet, I wanted the achievement of her positions to exceed what the 19th century writer William G. Fitzgerald accomplished in his human alphabet, which used two or three people to make each letter. I was inspired by Fitzgerald’s project to create my own version, but in my version, I wanted there to be more focus on one individual human body and its flexibility ad technique. Unlike Fitzgerald’s photographs, which can include his models showing aspects of their personality in their facial expressions, my human alphabet is much more minimal and has the serious atmosphere of a ballet performance (rather than a circus act, which is what Fitzgerald’s models did for a profession).

Technique

One of the most important technical considerations that went into creating this set was lighting. I had to make sure that my model would have adequate contrast in black and white in a way that would make her visible as a letter against a white background. I used two strong spots on either side of her, and then a softer light directly in front of her, so that there wouldn’t be any highlights or too dark of shadows. By working with lighting, I was able to ensure that the black and white tonal contrast was consistent in each letter I created. I also had to pay close attention to the composition of each shot, making sure that the model’s body filled the frame while also following the rule of thirds.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎:¨ ·.· ¨:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝐼𝑓 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑎 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝐼’𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒;
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ `· . ୨୧‎

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( . . ) have a flower♡
( づ🌷
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The Garden of Love is a set that conveys the message of Love. Love’s beauty and how Love can be characterized as a human being rather than an object. The model in this set defines Love as she sits in the garden of Love, picking flowers that can be seen as strings of fate and Love. This set hopes to convey that Love does not have to be an object; you don’t need to give items and objects to show how much you love a person, but being loved and being the definition of Love and using their action to demonstrate Love is more valuable. Everything in these photos are gentle and subtle, demonstrating how Love is, both romantic and gentle. The soft features of the model and the softness of the light, the dress and the background both demonstrate the idea of how love can be so gentle and perfect.

This set is inspired by the novel “The little Women”, a book that explores themes of family, love, gender roles, and personal ambition as the characters navigate their different paths in life. As this set is inspired by the romance of Jo and Laurie as their love can be most compassionate and gentle as this set’s definition of love.

Connecting

This connects with Cecil Beaton’s photography, highlighting not only the model’s elegance but also the backdrop and outfits. The overall vibe connects with Beaton’s style, yet this collection shows colors, enhancing the visual appeal and depth of the portrait.

Theme

The theme I am trying to convey in this set is the idea of how romance can be defined as a person and not as an object. Love is best conveyed through actions rather than objects, as it emphasizes genuine connection and emotional support. When we give quality time, and affection, we communicate our feelings in a way that truly shows the genuine care. It transforms love into a living, dynamic expression, strengthening the idea that meaningful relationships should be full of love.

Techniques 

• Rule of Thirds
• High Contrast
• Layering diffrent elements
• Composition

Top 17

Top 38

Top Choices

Practice Shots

Background Set Up

Vision

My vision for this set of photographs is to make portraits of a model wearing dresses from the 19th-century at rest in a garden. The photographs will look as close as possible to oil paintings from that time period. To prepare for this set, I will explore the techniques photographers use who have made portraits in a similar style to these oil paintings, especially by using techniques like lighting, focus and composition.

Statement of Intent

By capturing a model at rest in a garden in the style of past oil paintings of similar subject matter, I hope to inspire my audience to reflect on the changes in fashion over time and on how people’s relationship to nature has altered. My indirect message is to show how style has changed rapidly. Nowadays the focus in personal style is on fast fashion. In the past, fashions were more modest and involved more small, subtle details. Time has changed how we look at fashion, and I want to use my photographs to have people reflect on the ways that they think about fashion.

Cecil Beaton was a British photographer who made many portraits of celebrities and the elite, including royalty or film stars. For my set, I am inspired by the portraits he photographed in garden settings and with flower imagery. He inspires me to use techniques that can make my photographs look more like oil paintings than photographs. For example, Beaton often has the model pose with their head turned away from the camera, suggesting that they are resting or lost in thought. There is a dreamy atmosphere, especially in photographs that are hazy, with soft focus. He uses the flowers and trees to frame the model’s face. He also makes sure to show the model’s outfit in detail, using framing that resembles what’s classic in painting more than photography. Lighting is a very important part of Beaton’s garden photographs. Often the models are backlit, so that the light hitting their face is soft, not too strong.

In this set of photographs, I was able to create an alphabet out of the human body, yet my technical execution of the project was unsatisfying. The letters are very difficult to read against the black background. My model’s black clothing is blending in with the background, for example. The contrast in different letters is also unsatisfying. From far away the letters in the alphabet look satisfactory, but when I zoom in closer I see the faults, such as the weak contrast levels, and the letters become difficult to read. William G. Fitzgerald, the artist who inspired my project, made black and white images of the human alphabet against a white background, and this made it easier for the letters to be visible. With the white background, you can also see more detail in the bodies in the photographs. So I will try to make this set again, but using a white background. I will also pay more attention to making the lighting look more natural, and I will also see whether or not I want the letters to be in black and white or not.