Eldon Kika
Development One
My Plan
Within my development I hope to...
1. combine influences from chosen artists- Magdiel Lopez and Simrah Farrukh.
2. make sure my work is about my theme
3. include my own research and ideas
My first try at this is in Development 1. I will create a series of three edited photos of Pakistani females in elegant and sequinned attire, with digital manipulation on the face of the strong women of colour models. I will use colour and shapes to create a surreal and fantastical effect, beyond imagination.
Taking my Photos
In this Photo I intend take portraits of my Pakistani model using both an iPhone camera and DSLR camera. I have chosen to take pictures with a person as the subject as Simrah Farrukh's portraits usually have a female subject with cultural attire and the deeper skin tone will contrast with the clothes my model is wearing wearing therefore bringing more attention to the clothes reflecting Farrukh's fashion and SA representation photography.
The equipment I need will be DSLR Camera to allow me to change the light exposure triangle. My model will need to wear cultural clothing and I need to take pictures against a white background to make it easier to edit. I will use clothing that has royal-like garments to link to the women in the fairytale of Aladdin.
I will include the compositional rules of the rule of thirds, central eye dominant, contrast between subject and background. I will include the formal elements of focus, strong lines and colour.
Contact Sheet of the Raw,
Unedited Photos I will use
My Outcome
To edit my first photo, I opened it in Adobe Photoshop and I cropped it to remove negative space so that the subject dominates the frame, using the compositional rule of filling the frame. I used the rectangular tool to create vibrant gradient shapes around the model including the formal element of colour which makes the picture colourful and makes a bold statement, directing the viewer's attention to the subject. I used the lasso tool to make selections on the face and cut them out so that they could be filled with red roses. This helped implement thje idea of digital manipulation and engages the viewer's attention.I then added text to the image to give it a poster-like effect.
To edit my second photo, I opened it in Adobe Photoshop and I cropped the image then the brightness and the contrast to strengthen the image, modify and bring out the colours of the model’s outfits and skin tone as Simrah Farrukh does in her editing. I adjusted the shadows and highlights of the image of the image using the curves layer to enhance the lighting of the image. With the use of the magic wand tool, i then removed the background of the subject in order to apply a gradient in the background using the gradient tool. I used pastel colours for the background as Lopez usually does, which also fits in with the dreaminess and calm attributes of fairytales. I added a boarder around the image using the rectangle tool. Then i added an image of a neon circle behind the subject as Magdiel sometimes does in his work, to give a cooler and quirky effect. I then added text to the sides of the image to help enforce the poster style of editing Magdiel is fond of.
To edit my final photo, I opened it in Abode Photoshop and I used the curves layer to enhance the lighting of the image and then I cropped the picture so that the model was centralised so that I didn't have as much negative space and it gathered the attention of the viewer. I used an ellipse tool to cover the face and later delete that section of the face and cover it with red flowers instead which adds contrast with the soft tones of the garments and adds an element of fantasy linking to the dreamy nature of fairytales as well as Magdiel's playful editing style. I added a shadow on the side of the cut out section by the flowers to create a 3D effect and make it more realistic in the style of Magdiel. I also added text and a gradient ellipse to fill the negative space. The addition of text to the sides of the image is something Magdiel usually uses in his pieces and it perfectly creates a poster effect.
Review
I have used visual effects and composition by using the cream and gold garments to make the picture more dramaric and elegant and add an element of amusement inspired by Simrah’s use of specific clothing. I think the message of my theme is conveyed effectively because the w asian atttire represents the Pakistani and rest of the Desi community and Princess Jasmine.
In addition, to add more colour I have also successfully edited in Photoshop by adding gradient backgrounds and gradient shapes with brighter colours to increase the vibrancy of the image to create a jovial tone. This links to my theme of strange and fantastical as the unique methods by which the I have used colour makes the image very distinctive and unusual hence gathering the viewer's attention. Moreover, colour is a vital part of fairytales and childhood as it attracts young viewers. When I would see something popping with colour, and something that stood out, it would engage me and make me want to know more about what I am about to watch, which is what these gradients and colours also do, captivating the viewer’s eye.
I think that my composition is effective because I have used these compositional techniques of the rule of thirds, central eye dominant and fill the frame. I have included the formal elements of focus and colour.
Despite the fact Snow White is an entertaining fairytale with a main male character, I have also linked my work to the representation of SA women such as Princess Jasmine, addressed problematic messages such as lack of representation, where Jasmine was the first representation of a South Asian girl in Disney. Jasmine is also, especially in the 2019 live-action remake, a fierce and independent woman who can speak for herself, and opposes other princesses and doesn’t need a male to be heroic and save the day for her, she will do whatever it takes by herself. She refuses to be silenced and won’t go speechless. These messages are powerful and are a reflection of what happens with women and how they are treated in a misogynistic and unfair world. Hence, by having a Pakistani teenage girl as the subject targets those issues as by having a person of colour and by having a woman at the forefront subverts the story by portraying everything society rejects and giving it a more strong and fierce message.
In my next Development
To make my next development work even better I need to:
Keep doing: the use of gradients and colour and photoshop tools for Lopez, representation of South Asian women.
Do less of: too much overcrowding in picture, or too many different colours.
Do more of: incorporating the movement of paint from Alberto Seveso.