"His Natural Habitat"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken at midday on the 8th of February 2016. I wanted to take a picture of a 'chav' in a habitat they weren't often expected to be seen in (they are generally associated with pubs and parks) so an educational nature centre like the Winter gardens seemed to be the perfect location. In the image I took, my model is depicted sat on a bench and laughing at the camera; 'Chav's' have a stigma of being quite stoic and inapproachable, but here Alex has an open, smiley face which once again challenges the stereotype and shows his true 'identity' (correlating with the brief). This photograph wanted to convey an aspect of the human identity or, more specifically, sub-cultures and their associations. I wanted my images to rival the sub-cultures stereotypes instead of endorse them like the media so often do.
I tried to get this photo to abide by the rule of thirds by giving it depth- Alex might be the point of interest in the image (I sharpened him and the bench) but the foliage and pedestrians in the background are also key points of interest that draw the eye even though I have used radial blur to ensure they aren't in focus. It's also a very texturally interesting photograph because of the bench, clothes and greenery- even the bright colours help to make it more visually pleasing, I played around a lot with the hue and saturation to get this effect.
"Neon Jungle"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken at midday on the 8th of February 2016. Once again it depicts Alex, my stereotypical 'chav', sat on a bench in the Winter Gardens in order to display the same connotations as were previously mentioned- but this image is far more heavily edited. When editing the image I solarized the background but used the filter 'find edges' on my model and the bench so that they stood out from the rest of the picture. By doing this I was attempting to convey the idea that 'Chavs' tend to stand out to the general public in locations like the Winter Gardens because of their stereotype: however unfair that is.
Once again the photo applies itself to the rule of thirds because of the composition of the image, but the colour is the part which most creates spectacle in the picture. The sudden contrast between the 'chav' and his surroundings gives it a very surreal effect that reinforces how bizarre it really is to think certain people don't belong in certain places because of the way they dress. By being solarized the foliage in the background appears to be more detailed and sic-fiesque in it's bright colouring; also making a very obvious textural difference between the different plants.
"Sizzler"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken at midday on the 8th of February 2016. I took pictures of my model 'chav' in front of a fairground ride in town, once again pulling a ridiculous expression to distance him from the stereotype of chavs being threatening. The true identity of the chav is being shown here instead of the stigma. It's another place most people wouldn't expect to find someone of his sub-culture and there is an obvious contrast between his monochrome clothing and the colours of the fairground around him. This location was picked last minute because I decided it would be a wonderful background to highlight this contrast and also challenged the 'chav' stigma in manner different to the Winter Gardens.
One of the first things I did with this image was show off some editing techniques by using the spot removal tool to get rid of any blemishes on Alex's face; I then sharpened him and used a blur filter on the background so his face became the centre of interest for the audience. Making the background out of focus created a great effect as all the colours become more indistinct. The composition of this image created an obvious distinction of the depth on the photo- everything in the foreground (Alex and the pole) were sharper and more detailed than the background as that was not the focus of my shot.
"In Peaces"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 8th of February 2016 in the afternoon. I took the picture in the Peace Gardens and wanted it to be a simple shot that focused on Kayla's expression (making her the centre of interest) instead of her surroundings. I tried to use my photographs to explore Hipster's relationships to their online persona; by taking a simplistic picture of Kayla it challenged the way hipsters stereotypically tend to keep a carefully cultivated online image in which they only post 'artsy' images.
The natural lighting in this photograph also contrasts the artificiality often present in Hipsters online persona; by doing this it was my intention to show that this sub-culture should not feel like they are controlled by their online persona and are instead different from the character they express. It shows two different aspects of their identity in order to relate to the brief. The landscape format gives my image the opportunity to not only show off the details of her top and coat but also give the picture more depth as it shows my model in relationship to her environment. When editing the picture I blurred the background and played with the tone of the different layers so that the depth was more obvious.
"My Aesthetic"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 8th of February 2016 in the afternoon. I took this stereotypically 'hipster' image of Kayla as on social media Hipsters often post pictures showing objects (e.g. clothing) in front of a white background because it is aesthetically pleasing- it was my intention for this photograph to mock how people expect 'hipsters' to be the same as their online personas. Even the pose is associated with their stigma in order to reinforce the idea that the model is poking fun at themselves and their sub-culture's associations.
The image I have taken is relatively symmetrical to make it more visually pleasing, I have also tried to make use of the wall to enhance the image. The grid like lines of the wall frame Kayla in the centre of the image, aiding in making her the focus of the picture- you could also argue that they are leading lines which direct the viewers eyes towards my model. Her becoming the centre of interest means you can see the detail of her clothes more easily, which have a more artistic effect to them as I have used the 'dry brush' filter over the top of them. I tried to use the lighting and tone of this image to make it more artificial, like something a real 'hipster' might post online.
"Dot Filter"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 8th of February 2016 in the afternoon. Once again the picture is taken by the Peace gardens, but I wanted to test out varying editing techniques with this image instead of just enhancing the original picture. I decided I wanted to use the same filter twice but still manage to make Kayla stand out in comparison to the background- pontilize seemed like the best effect to do this with. The final abstract edit conveys the idea that it is an artistic image that would appeal to a stereotypical hipster's expected identity.
The format of the photograph would allow you to see the clothes of my outfit if I hadn't used a filter to alter the image. Instead it shows the background which is not a location a 'hipster' would stereotypically photograph in to feed their online persona- again showing they can escape the sigma associated with them because of members of their sub-cultures online profile. The pointilizing creates a particularly apparent abstract sense to the work as there are gaps in between each spot of colour which negative space an important part of the image.
"The Wall"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 8th of February 2016 in the afternoon. It's taken in the same location as the previous shot in front of the white wall and so expresses the same connotations- namely mocking the Hipster stigma. She is posed in a similarly dramatic and serious fashion to the previous photograph to reinforce that she isn't taking it seriously.
Once again the grid frames my model and shows leading lines towards the model so that the viewers eyes is drawn towards them. The fact that the image would be completely symmetrical if not for my model creates an oddly appealing effect as she breaks up the image and creates a contrast between man and man-made buildings. I used 'adaptive wide angle' on the background to curve the wall and give it more depth, and then to create a more obvious distinction between the background and the foreground I sharpened Kayla. Sharpening Kayla offers the viewer the ability to look at the outfit representing her sub-culture in much more detail.
"A Gothic Hue"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 12th of February 2016 in the afternoon. I took it in the Peace Gardens near the fountains in order to get a clear shot of the coloured tiles running down it- taking the picture from a different viewpoint at a low angle gave me the opportunity to play with the colouring of the buildings in the background as well. I wanted to try and convey that the 'Goth' fit in naturally to such a bright and vibrant scenario; he seems happy there instead of nervous, showing that their stereotype does not and should not ostracise them from the rest of society. My themes were that of the identity of different sub-cultures and here it is being shown through how society views them because of their appearance.
This image is probably one of the most heavily edited out of all my final photographs. I spent a long time playing with the hue/saturation in order to give it an almost cartoony effect that was not stereotypically associated with a Goth but still ensured that only the Goth's surroundings were affected as playing with the hue and saturation of my model made the image look unprofessional. The other main filter I used was the 'cloud' filter in order to make the sky appear moodier as it was very plain originally. I even managed to make this image correspond to the rule of thirds relatively successfully. All these editing techniques created a very surreal effect that would hopefully stand out to my audience.
"The Damned"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 12th of February 2016 in the afternoon. When I saw the written phrase 'The Damned' I decided it was definitely something stereotypically associated with Goths and should be used in my shoot. With this image I was trying to conform to the standard moody effect given off by gothic pictures so that with the other photos I could show the way that Goths are misrepresented by these types of images. I have explored their stereotypical identity in this image but managed to explore their true identity in my other images.
I sharpened the image and used the 'film grain' effect in order to give the picture an old gothic effect to make it further adhere to the stigma. I also used the viewpoint to my advantage by taking it at a low angle, similar to the previous image, which not only succeeded in showing off more of the sub-cultures typical outfit but also made my subject look more powerful: this is the scenario he is stereotyped as feeling most comfortable in. Even the colouring of the image is moody and dark, connoting a gothic feel that applies to the stereotype.
"Graveyard Blues"
Photographed by Madison Fearn
This photo was taken on the 12th of February 2016 in the afternoon. It's a picture of Brad stood in a local graveyard as I decided this was the location probably most commonly associated with Goths, once again a part of my attempts to dramatise and mock the stereotype. Ironically my model is the most colourful aspect of the graveyard- it is his surroundings that are monochrome, inferring themes of sadness and loss. It was my intention to show the contrast between a Goth and what most people's concept of who and what a Goth is; they shouldn't be immediately associated with death and depression purely because of their choice of clothing. They have more to them than just an archetype society puts upon them, and with the theme of identity I tried to explore this in my images.
The colours are very important in this image as they show a sharp distinction between the monochrome background and blue Brad standing out with the 'plaster' filter over him. This filter makes him the centre of interest as it draws the viewers eyes towards the only source of colour. The composition in this piece is also important as I needed to show off the location because of it's relation to the sub-culture, by getting in a tomb stone and some of the dead branches in the background I feel it became an accurate representation of a graveyard.
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