Credits

 Start off talking with an introduction to production

 What is this production about?

This production is about my journey looking at 2 different photographers that have inspired me over the past
few months and a showcase of the journey I took reimagining their work, Trying to mix their concepts with my
style of photography

The concepts I chose were Colour, Motion and Story each represented by three different photographers who
specialise in these categories.

The two concepts I chose to look at were the use of motion by Richard Avedon and the inclusion of story in
photography by peter Lindbergh

I chose to do this production to show my audience that It is possible to use professional themes using pretty
standard equipment. For my production I used a canon 700d and the lens that came with it.

It wasn’t an easy journey trying to recreate some of the work of these professionals however, I did my best
looking into these concepts. The first being Motion.

*Fade Out*

Richard Avedon History

Richard Avedon Is one of the world most well recognised fashion photographers. He was known for matching
classic styling with energy and creative spirit. His ambitious and bold images reflected the high points of 50s
America and turned him into the first celebrity fashion photographer. His status was confirmed when the
movie funny face based on Avedon’s life came out featuring one of his favourite models Dovima, who he shot
one of his most famous images titled “Dovima With the Elephants” with in the late 50s.

Under Alexey Brodovitch’s guidance Avedon quickly became the Head photographer at harper’s Bazaar and
moved to work at Vogue in 1965 and stayed to work there for almost 20 years.

Shoot Plan

So the first shoot I did was based on the work of Richard Avedon. Looking into Avedon’s work, one of the
things I was drawn to was the consistent use of movement in his images both in and out of the studio. At this
time the concept of motion in the studio had only begun, Avedon being one of the pioneers of this technique.
This was achieved using big studio flashes that allowed for enough light so that the photographer could use
faster shutter speeds to capture the movement of the model. One of my main photo inspirations by Avedon
for this project was the photo he made where his model was mid sidestep holding onto her very long hair
extension. This was one of the images I saw that made me think this might just be the perfect photographer to
use. This was the base on which the rest of my mood board were created, taking images that were similar and
could be used to advance my knowledge on how I could attempt to follow along with this concept.

A lot of avedons work showed this similar use of hair and body movements in his work so what I did was I
booked a studio got a model and a helping hand and tried my best shot at recreating some of this work.

Shoot 1

When it came time for me to shoot one of the thinks I was certain I wanted to do was use the model’s hair as a
main feature to show movement in my images because the dress that we chose wasn’t as flowy as we initially
thought. A main reason for this was because of the colour of the model’s hair and I knew this would be a very
powerful think for me to utilise in the photos. So, I chose… the hair.
After we got kicked out of the studio we decided we would take some shots outside to try use natural light to
get some images. This was me trying to incorporate the idea of movement into a setting I was more
accustomed to and I do think It worked out well.

Shoot 1 Conclusion and Comparison

Overall, I would say that the shoot went well. I think we came out of it with some decent images that work for
what were trying to achieve. The concept of movement is one that I have found myself using before but having
it as the focal point of my images is something that I wasn’t quite use to. The concept itself seems easy but
when you try and use it the way Avedon does in his images you get a higher sense or respect for it. Considering
this was my first time in the studio I think we did a good job only having a 3 man and woman team. And I look
forward to using some of Avedon’s themes in the future.

*Fade out*

Peter Lindbergh History

Peter Lindbergh is a German fashion photographer known for his distinctly cinematic images. Considered a
pioneer in photography, he introduced a new standard of beauty in his images with his focuses on the soul and
personality of the models he was shooting. He is known for leaving his images untouched showing the model
in their true form, one he has referred to as the height of their beauty. Lindbergh story telling brought a new
flavour to the traditional ideas of fashion photography. He’s known for keeping fashion second in his work
stating that the role of the photographer should be the photos, and everything included should come as a
secondary. Back in 1988, Lindbergh got international attention when his gathered some of today’s most
recognised supermodels to shoot for the first time together on the legendary 1990 cover of British vogue.
Today he is known as the godfather of story in fashion photography.

Shoot plan 2

The second shoot that I did was based on the concept of storytelling by peter Lindbergh. To me his images are
very cinematic, he used very obvious cinematic cues in his work to create stories and backgrounds for the
characters featured in some of his images. Which is one of the main things that drew me to his work.

The specific shoot that I was drawn to was a shoot he titled “Angel” that he shot with Amber Valetta in new
York. That was one of the first shoots I saw of his as I was instantly drawn to.

My goal for this shoot was to create a story using the model and the location using cinematic themes the way
he did to create my images in a way that reflects the same style that he shoots in.

Shoot 2

Finding a Location that would work for the shoot and would give us the best outcome was possibly one of the
most difficult parts of the shoot. First, we shot in a doorway outside a random building. This was where I
started to understand a bit more of what I was trying to achieve but we ended up leaving to find a location
that better suited what we were going for. We ended up in front of an apartment complex that wasn’t too
busy and had nice shading which I thought was perfect for what we were going for with our photos. Another
thing I noticed with Lindbergh is that he would use natural mannerisms that he noticed his model has an
include it into his images. So in turn I decided I would try this method as well. At one point I noticed my model
had gone for a smoke break. So I thought why not take this as an opportunity to add some character…. To my
character. I feel like this made my model a bit more comfortable with the poses allowing her to do something
she felt natural doing and getting one step closer to the real character of my model.
Shoot 2 Conclusion and Comparison

By far this was the more difficult concept to capture. It was the concept that required on the spot thinking
using all aspects of the shoot as one, merging my model with the environment around her. The concept of
storytelling is one that takes mastering and I think you can see that developed style in Lindbergh’s photos. I
think If I want to reach that Level it will take me a few more decades of practice. I think the use of storytelling
one of obvious intricacy and comparing my work to Lindbergh’s you can see an obvious margin in
development. This is a concept that I plan to keep working on and one that I see developing me as a
photographer in the future.