Inspiration for my idea

Kinga Kacaniova

This is a photograph by Kirsty Mitchell from her series of photographs Wonderland. When I was trying to make up the first idea, I thought, I we are to take the photographs in Snowdonia in February, hopefully there will be snow. From the snow I got an idea of making a themed shoot of Snow Queen. When looking around the internet to make up something clearer, I came across Kirsty Mitchell and I find her work very inspiring specially for this brief because her series Wonderland is full of characters and shots on locations and thatʼs what I want to do.

This photograph inspired me by the model as she stands out from the photograph. The photograph is shot from a low viewpoint and the model is wearing a long dress and that makes her look very dominant, and to me this photograph gives a feel like the whole woodland behind her is hers. She is looking straight at the viewer, almost like she is enticing the viewer to come to her. This makes me feel like the model doesnʼt only own the location, but she also wants to own the viewer. I think it is interesting how the model is wearing bright colours, that is also getting the viewerʼs attention and it makes the viewer to want to look at the model.

I think Kirsty Mitchell used natural light for this photograph or possibly speedlights. What I would like to take from this photograph is, that I want to make my model look dominant and make it look like anything around her belongs to her. I also want to use similar depth of field, which is as I see mid or deep so enough detail is captured from the background.

This is Tim Walkerʼs photograph and it got my attention because the model looks very powerful and dominant and she looks like she is controlling the location. I would like to create the same effect in my photograph, making my model looking very important and like everything belongs to her.

The light Tim Walker works with is generally ambient or flashes on location. By the light on the rocks I am guessing Tim used a reflector and reflected the sunlight from behind the model.

I think the fact that there is only a model and a simple rough background without any additional props works well because it makes the viewer concentrating on the model herself and she is getting the most of the attention.

This photograph creates mixed feelings for me, I am not sure what is going on, I donʼt know if there is a war coming up, or if itʼs finished, I am not sure if the character is good or bad, and I think itʼs good because this photograph makes the viewer stop and think.

While the model looks very powerful, she also looks very feminine because of the construction and the colour of the dress.

Kinga Kacaniova

This is John Rankinʼs fashion shot which has inspired me about in a way that the other photographs have, by the whole look of the photograph and the feel it makes.

The model looks omnipotent over the background and she is stood high up and in a triangular composition, that makes her look even more ruling and the quite arrogant pose also refers to the same.

Her facial expression is blank and she is looking straight at the viewer, so she is trying to get the viewerʼs attention and the viewer himself.

The deer skulls symbolize fashion in some countries, and also represents peace and beauty, that the whole scene has got, but it may refer to the characterʼs own beauty as well.

She is photographed from a low viewpoint and that also makes her look in power.

The photograph looks like natural light have been used, but I think Rankin maybe also used flashes with diffusers or soft boxes on, because the lights on the model and skulls look very even and soft.

Rankin probably used a medium format camera because thatʼs the format he generally works with. I am not sure whether the background is not clear because of shallow depth of field, or because of the weather conditions.

I think the long dress makes the model look a lot taller and more feminine. Her black dress could symbolize protection over her land.

This photograph inspired me by its lighting. The background is very slightly underexposed, but the models are really standing out as there is a bright lighting on them and also on the ground in front of them and that puts all the attention on the models/clothing.

I couldnʼt find out what lighting has been used exactly, but I believe either studio flashes or speedlights have been used.

From the light falling on the ground I think 1 or possibly 2 flashes have been fired in the same directions. I can tell this from the shadow on the right arm of the model on the left as well.

This is the sort of lighting I want to use for my photograph as well. I want to underexpose the sky and light up my model with flashes.

The light on the ground around the models puts the attention on the models. I would like to create the same effect or maybe I will place some material around the model.

I think the background is also interesting and it adds to the photo some dynamics as it is tilted. I think itʼs clever how the photographer made the foreground looking straight and the backround tilted.