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Sara Rowley

Ryan Cummings

Art 1050

08 December 2022

Final Project Reflection and Journal

Executive Summary:

For my final assignment, I photographed 2 small horror photo series. I pulled ideas and

elements from my brainstorm list, as well as using my favorite horror photographer, Kelly Jean

for inspiration. I utilized halloween props, makeup, and costumes to incorporate horror elements

into my photos. I combined skills learned in this class regarding qualities of light and

composition with self taught digital manipulation to produce my horror series.Some obstacles

encountered during this project included finding models, and having adequate power supply to

light my subject and background.

A horror photo series was a good final project for Introduction to Photography because it

incorporated material covered throughout the course including qualities of light, compositional

elements, and digital manipulation; and applied the skills in a challenging context.

This final project was personally meaningful to me because I am an artist and I love to

create pieces that are morbid and macabre. It is something I felt excited to do, and what I have

learned as a result of the project will stick with me for much longer.

Ritual Photoshoot Details:

Date: 03 November 2022

Photos: 1-79
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Location: Garage at my house

Lighting (changes between photos): No room lighting, white lamp, colored lamp

(red/purple), tea light candles.

Back drop: black blanket draped in white cotton webbing.

Model: Myself dressed in a dress with a red velvet cape.

Props: Smoke machine, miscellaneous halloween decor, fake blood, foam knife, fake

rat, plastic skull, books, plastic cauldron, plastic wrap shaped into a pentagram covered in

fake blood.

Ritual Photoshoot Reflection:

In my proposal, I listed some expected roadblock for a successful shoot I might encounter

during this assignment, one of which was difficulty securing a model to photograph. I

encountered this issue for my “Ritual” photoshoot. The model I had initially intended to

photograph was unavailable, consequently I took the photos of myself. I used the longest

countdown, and 5 continuous photo settings on my camera to help overcome this obstacle. This

was my first-time taking photos of myself, and it proved to be challenging as I only had 10

seconds to compress the camera’s shutter and get into position for the photo.

Additionally, since I was not physically taking the photos, I could not see what I was

photographing, making it difficult to guarantee myself and my background were properly in-

frame and positioned correctly. I attempted to remedy this by using a mirror, but ultimately

editing the photos in photoshop proved to be the most useful.

I felt my greatest success with this photoshoot was the background and props that I used.

I took the photos in my garage and was able to find adequate power sources for the lighting
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fixtures which lent an eerie mood to my photos. I felt the Halloween décor and props made my

photos feel unnerving and added the desired horror aesthetic for this photoshoot. To incorporate

additional horror to the photos, I edited them in photoshop to make them appear grainier and

distressed. I also increased saturation and decreased the brightness to make them more

unnerving.

Pyramid Head Photoshoot Details:

Date: 04 November 2022

Photos: 80-115

Location: Corporate Mills Parking Garage

Lighting (changes between photos): Ambient lighting of the parking garage, ambient

lighting from the sun, white lamp, red lamp

Model: Destiny Hakanson dressed in all black with a corset, leather jacket

Props: smoke machine, electronic cigarette, hand crafted pyramid head helmet, hand

painted foam sword

Reflection on “Pyramid Head” Photoshoot:

This portion of my final project encountered far fewer roadblocks. The only obstacle I

encountered in this photoshoot was the limited number of power sources within the parking

garage for light and smoke devices, which confined us to one corner for certain photos. Aside

from the power supply, I was pleased with the location. I felt the parking garage fit the industrial

look I felt would add to the horror theme of my project.

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The model photographed was punctual, cooperative, and provided her own costume. She

dressed as Pyramid Head from the horror video game, “Silent Hill.” Which I felt contributed to

the horror theme of my photoshoot. Since I was physically photographing the model, I was able

to analyze my subject and background for flaws before making each exposure. Consequently, I

felt that this photoshoot was less problematic, and incorporated better compositional details.

I felt my greatest success with this photoshoot was the incorporation and combination of

light and smoke. My model and I used a smoke machine, white light lamp, handheld LED light,

and e-cigarette vapor to add creative and horror elements to some of the photos. These were later

enhanced in Photoshop as well to make the horror aspects more dramatic. To incorporate

additional horror to the photos, the photos were also edited to make them appear grainier,

distressed, more saturated and darker to make them

more unnerving.
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Photo Journal:

Photo #, Description, Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO setting

1. Me holding book blue dress 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

2. Me holding book blue dress 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

3. Me holding book black dress 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

4. Me holding book black dress 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

5. Me holding book black dress 1/30 4.5 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

6. Me holding book black dress 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

7. Me Knife and skull cape 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

8. Me Knife and skull cape 1/30 4.5 iso 3200

9. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

10. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

11. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

12. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

13. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

14. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

15. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

16. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

17. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

18. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

19. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

20. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

21. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

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22. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

23. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

24. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

25. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

26. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

27. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

28. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

29. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

30. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

31. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

32. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

33. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

34. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

35. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

36. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

37. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

38. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

39. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

40. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

41. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

42. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

43. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

44. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

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45. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

46. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

47. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

48. Me Knife and cape 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

49. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

50. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

51. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

52. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

53. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

54. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

55. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

56. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

57. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

58. Me magic hands 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

59. Me Knife and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

60. Me Knife and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

61. Me Knife and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

62. Me Knife and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

63. Me Knife and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

64. Me Knife and cape and rat 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

65. Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

66. Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

67. Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

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68. Potions 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

69. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

70. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

71. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

72. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

73. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

74. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

75. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

76. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

77. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

78. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

79. Me and Ritual set-up 1/30 4.0 iso 3200

80. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 640 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

81. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 640

82. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit red side and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 800

83. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit red side and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 800

84. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit red side and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 1250 (EDIT)

85. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit red side and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 1000

86. Pyramid head and knife standing back lit red side and smoke ⅛ 4.0 iso 1000

87. Pyramid head and knife red lit hole standing back lit ⅛ 4.0 iso 2000

88. Pyramid head and knife red lit hole standing back lit ⅛ 4.0 iso 2000

89. Pyramid head sitting on wall natural top light ⅛ 4.0 iso 125 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

90. Pyramid head sitting on wall natural top light ⅛ 4.0 iso 125
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91. Pyramid head sitting on wall natural top light ⅛ 4.0 iso 125

92. Pyramid head sitting on wall natural top light ⅛ 4.0 iso 100 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

93. Pyramid head sitting on wall natural top light ⅛ 4.0 iso 100

94. Pyramid head standing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600

95. Pyramid head standing garage light from back swinging sword ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600

96. Pyramid head standing garage light from back swinging sword ⅛ 4.0 iso 1250

97. Pyramid head standing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 2500

98. Pyramid head standing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 3200 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

99. Pyramid head standing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 3200

100. Pyramid head standing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600 (EDIT FOR

FINAL)

101. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 800

102. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 800

103. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 800

104. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 2500 (EDIT FOR

FINAL)

105. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 2500

106. Pyramid head walking garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 2500

107. Pyramid head posing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600

108. Pyramid head posing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600

109. Pyramid head posing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600

110. Pyramid head posing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1250

111. Pyramid head posing garage light from back ⅛ 4.0 iso 1250
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112. Pyramid head back lit and smoke/red face ⅛ 4.0 iso 640

113. Pyramid head back lit and smoke/red face ⅛ 4.0 iso 320 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

114. Pyramid head back lit and smoke/red face ⅛ 4.0 iso 400 (EDIT FOR FINAL)

115. Pyramid head back lit and smoke/red face ⅛ 4.0 iso 1600