Cellar Door

Forces of Nature

2009-09-30T06:33:00.001-07:00

I did I shoot with Jenni. I did all the make up and styling myself and did so with the earth and fire elements in mind.

The first set I did, was experimenting with a home-made lighting set up. Because the lighting studio workshop was cancelled and rescheduled to the end of January, I had to experiment myself.

In the images below I used two lamps in various positions, it was funny really, me directing Jenni into poses, while trying to get her to hold a lamp where I wanted, then myself holding another lamp all while trying to take a picture.

The light was low, and I am going to say this again, I NEED TO BUY A TRIPOD! Haha, but I think I managed to get some pretty nice shots without one, and considering my bodged lighting job.

I also practiced some editing on these images. I Duplicated the images into a new layer, added some gaussian blur, turned down the opacity to about 40% (the amount varies from image to image) and then flattened them. This softens the skin tones.

We then waited for the sun to start going down and walked to Hyde Park and did a shoot there with the sun low.

This time of day gave really lovely, flattering lighting.

Food - Eat Your Eyes Out

2009-09-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Set 1

It's been a couple of weeks but I finally completed the Food - Eat Your Eyes Out shoot!

The first set I have completed, is the Literal Louise shoot, with the eyeballs, I am really pleased with the results.

Here is the strongest image from the set, as always, click on the image to see a larger version:

I am so glad I bought the black gingham fabric, as a really do feel it makes the image. Louise really is the perfect model for this set. Her porcelain skin contrasting with her dark hair and red lips are so striking. There really is something delicious about this photograph, despite Louise 'eating her eyeballs'! I think this is helped achieved by the juiciness of her lips, and the sheen from her pearls and bow, and the wet blood running from her eye.

I've not retouched this photo in anyway, just straightened it slightly and added the copyright. Some people are born with flawless skin I suppose!

I like the images from this set in a sequence. I've never really used a sequence of images in this way before, and I feel it works pretty well for these. For the sequence I flipped the photo's over, to give them a better flow. I think if I was to display these I would print them separately; I would love to see them in some OTT gold frames!

We were debating whether or not to use the knife and fork, but there is something about the fact she has abandoned these to use her fingers, that adds to the mood of these photographs.

Set 2

I can't wait to get these images printed onto edible paper!

Even though Hannah is squinting slightly from the bright lights, I still love this image, I like the colours and the composition.

Amalgamation

2009-09-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

I currently have a few blogs on the go, as I used them as my journals on my previous course. I will be compiling them into one personal blog on the future; bear with me!

2009-05-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

Final Images

Miedo

2009-04-29T04:52:00.000-07:00

Miedo; fears.

Time to get lost

2009-04-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

My self portraits are going to reflect feelings of being lost.

I plan at the moment to photograph myself lost in various locations; from desolate places such as woods, fields, open empty spaces, streets. And then (*hopefully)in busy places; train stations, streets, bars.

My I will be the same in all my images; same clothes, pose, expression... this will link the series together. I am currently imagining standing facing the camera, centrally. I'll be wearing just underwear, maybe blindfolded to illustrate the sense of loneliness/vulnerability.

The busy places will involve a slow shutter speed of about 15 seconds to suggest a long period of time, I should be still in the image with people and other things motion blurred around me.

I may need an assistant, if only to help me avoid looking like a lunatic.
* I say hopefully, as it's in these places I am gonna look like a lunatic setting up a tripod and photographing myself!

Time to run away

2009-04-27T12:50:00.001-07:00

I got a little bit obsessed with Cellar Door, and although I love the words, and love the song 'Needle and the damage done'; I decided I hit my creative block because I couldn't personally relate to the lyrics.

I was listening to Runaway by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs earlier, and well I couldn't stop listening to it! The lyrics aren't particularly complex, but I like the simplicity of them... and they mean something to me. They've inspired me to do some self portraits. They should be quite personal, which is something really out of my comfort zone, but I have always wanted to work from a personal level, as I find as a viewer work like that the most intriguing.

Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I was feeling sad
Can't help looking back
Highways flew by
Run, run, run away
No sense of time
Want you to stay
Want keep you inside

Run, run, run away
Lost, lost, lost my mind
Want you to stay
Want you to be my prize

Run, run, run away
Lost, lost, lost my mind
Want you to stay
Want you to be my prize

I was feeling sad
Can't help looking back
Highways flew by
Run, run, run away
No sense of time
Want you to stay
Want keep you inside

All along, not so strong without these open arms.
Hold on tight.
All along, not that strong without these open arms.
Lie beside.
All along, not so strong without these open arms.
Ride beside.

Run, run, run away
Lost, lost, lost my mind
Want you to stay
Want you to be my prize

Run, run, run away
Lost, lost, lost my mind
Want you to stay
Want you to be my prize

Neil Youg - Needle and the Damage Done

2009-04-24T05:11:00.001-07:00

I caught you knockin'
at my cellar door
I love you, baby,
can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.
I hit the city and
I lost my band
I watched the needle
take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done.
I sing the song
because I love the man
I know that some
of you don't understand
Milk-blood
to keep from running out.
I've seen the needle
and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's
like a settin' sun.

I'm considering exploring the lyrics of this song with photography.

Survey Results

2009-04-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

The results of the survey where very interesting, however I am not really sure how to use the results. I will post in more detail about the results later.

Beauty Survey

2009-04-24T04:53:00.001-07:00

I have decided to survey my friends and fellow students on what they think are three beautiful words to them; in terms of phonetics rather than meaning. I am also interested in what beautiful means to them in terms of other senses. Here is the survey I sent to them:

Hello, if you could spare a few moments to complete this survey for my next project then I would be grateful! Thanks.
I am conducting a survey on beauty and our senses. This is stemmed from the idea that according to J.R.R. Tolkien, that Cellar Door is a combination of words in the English language thought to have an especially beautiful sound. Not from meaning, so the words could be spelled in these ways, to eradicate meaning, enabling the mind to just hear them as sound: Celador, Selador.
I am particularly interested in the phonetics of words, and what words in the English language are beautiful.

A. What three words sound beautiful to you? Number one being the most beautiful. These words should not be judged on meaning, just based purely on how they sound.
1.
2.
3.

B. To you, what is the most beautiful sound?

C. To you what is the most beautiful sight?

D. To you what is the most beautiful taste?

E. To you what is the most beautiful feeling?

F. To you what is the most beautiful smell?

G. Do any of the answers above link together in any way to you? If yes then how?

Thanks for completing my survey; I will feedback results to those who complete it.

Fran

70 most Beautiful words

2009-04-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

A poll of over 35000 overseas voters were asked what they considered to be the most beautiful words in the English language.

Cellar Door

2009-04-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

Most English speaking people, would admit that 'cellar door' is beautiful, especially if dissociated from it's sense (and spelling).

More beautiful than say, 'sky', and far more beautiful than 'beautiful'.

According to J.R.R. Tolkien, Cellar Door is a combination of words in the English language thought to have an especially beautiful sound. Not from meaning, so the words could be spelt in these ways, to eradicate meaning, enabling the mind to just hear them as sound: Celador, Selador.