Techniques and Processes 3 Specialists

Evaluation

The theme behind my project was to create product advertising imagery, that would show the difference between trainers and smart shoes, I was creating a variety of imagery that all have individual techniques used. Throughout this project I was trying to show the difference within the advertising that I was trying to create, even though the product is similar and has a similar purpose they are very different when it comes to the demographic audience and also the way the shoes would be typically advertised.

I think my favourite part of the project was coming up with the different concepts and having that creativity within my work. I think that this has been one of my more successful projects as I feel I have a wide range for my portfolio. I found the photoshoots the most interesting part about my project as I was able to develop my project and also my techniques as well throughout, I feel that I have improved within my studio lighting techniques but also my photoshop techniques.

The new techniques I have used while creating this project is learning how to photograph shoes and which lighting modifier gives the best results for what I was trying to create. I used a two light setup for the majority of my photoshoots, I would use one softbox to create an overall exposure for the image but then I would also use a snoot lighting modifier to highlight certain parts of the shoes.

I also tried using 35mm film to see how this would develop and I seemed to have struggled with using the studio lighting set up and trying to keep the image in focus. This was something that I wished I could of further developed but using 35mm film didn’t seem appropriate for the project as I was trying to do modern day advertising something that could be more relevant today.

The photographers I have researched into are Matthew Seed, Ben Reeves and Alexandr Vlassyuk. These photographers have been really useful and have shown me different techniques that I could use throughout my project. I was also looking at these photographers to see how they have photographed trainers and smart shoes as well. This gave me more of an idea when it came to my photoshoots.

I feel that my most successful part of the project has been my photoshoots with the pink shoes as seen on the first image and also the smart shoe with the last image where shoe is hovering outside the shoebox. I think that these images have made me develop a range of skills from photoshop and also using new lighting techniques that I previously haven’t used fully.

Fortunately I didn’t encounter many problems through this project. They were parts where I was concerned how the project was developing but overall I seemed to be more focused than ever with this project by keeping a calendar and a to do list app on my phone that would remind me each what I need to do and what needs to be completed.

If there was anything to change within this project I would potentially change this by focusing on only one type advertising. I think I would just focus on the trainer side as I feel that this is my strongest part of the project.

Overall I am happy with the outcome of the project and think that it is a strong body work. I think that this will benefit me within the second semester and help create my finalised portfolio for the final year exhibition.

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Techniques and Procsesses 3 Specalist

Casino Photoshoot experimentation

What have I done?

I have tried creating a different style of photography that I haven’t previously tried before. I wanted to try and show a potential theme for my project. I thought having the casino theme could try and represent the sort of demographic audience I would try and aim my photography.

I used fishing wire to keep the cards and chips floating, I then used Photoshop to remove the wiring and retouch the image. I think that the concept is unique but didn’t seem to fit with the rest of my work.

When speaking to peers and my tutor I got feedback saying that they couldn’t imagine a shoe brand having advertising imagery with the theme being a casino and gambling theme. When reflecting on this photoshoot I can now understand where they’re coming from and agree with my peers and tutors.

I am still glad that I tried this photoshoot and this was experimentation and now I know what works for my project and what doesn’t work as well. Without this experimentation I think that without experimenting I wouldn’t be able to progress my project further and try new techniques and ideas.

Techniques and Processes 3 Specalist

Finalised imagery for semester 1

When trying to decide my finalised imagery I wanted to give my portfolio a range of imagery. This portfolio is trying to show the different lighting techniques, compositions and also different art directions that each image has. When going through my photoshoots I thought that these were the strongest images throughout my project.

When trying to sequence my imagery I thought I would separate my smart shoe collection and trainer collection to show the difference in I have created for each side of this project. I tried different ways of presenting my work but I thought that having the separation within my project makes it easily visible and the viewer can focus on one side of the project if proffered

I have decided to make my main images that I think are the strongest the first and last image as I want people to it to be eye catching for the first image but also I want the last image to be memorable for the viewers so my portfolio can be memorable for people.

Overall I am pleased with my finalised imagery and think my portfolio is a strong body of work. I will be progressing my project into semester two by bringing models and more of a lifestyle approach to my photography.

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Techniques and Processes 3 Specialist

The demographic behind my imagery

What have I done?

While I have been creating my imagery I have been looking at the demographic and who their target audience is for sportswear brands appeal too, for example age ranges, genders and also ethnicity’s. When researching into the brand Nike their main three target audience is young athletes, Women and running.

Nike seems to have pushed their marketing towards runners and have quoted themselves  “Running is our heritage and our largest performance category.” (Lutz, 2015) This can be seen on their website as they have a large amount of promotion focusing on that sport. They have also involved celebrity endorsements as well. For the running ambassadors for Nike there are Olympic athletes such as Mo Farah and also professional footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Seeing the research that I have gathered that’s why I tried to focus the trainers on running that’s why I also only used running shoes for the photography. I think coming up with different concepts as well trying to send out a message that they are running shoes for example the photoshoot with the blue trainers and the light trail effect. I think that this could be representing speed and running.

What have I got from it?

Finding research about demographics and who the target audience has helped me create my imagery as I now know who would be looking at the imagery and what imagery would be most effective when trying advertise these shoes. I think that this task has been useful and is something new to me as I have not previously looked into target audiences, but now learning more and gaining skills will help me develop as a commercial photographer.

What’s next?

I am going to be creating my evaluation of the project and be explaining how this year has been different but has also been very useful not just for my technical sides but also portfolio. I think that I am now able to create advertising imagery that could be used for brands. I will also be completing contacts sheets that will be going in a online folder due to Covid we are now having to submit our contacts sheets and research folder online.

Lutz, A., 2015. Nike Is Going After 3 Kinds Of Customers. [online] Business Insider. Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-is-going-after-3-kinds-of-customers-2015-4?r=US&IR=T&gt; [Accessed 5 January 2021].

Techniques and Processes Specialist

Smart Shoe Collection using light trails

What have I done?

I have tried a technique that I have previously used in one of my photoshoots, but this technique was previously used in the trainer collection. I decided to try this technique with the smart shoe collection. I thought the technique could work nicely with using the perspex as the light would be able to give reflections on the perspex and also highlight a small part of the shoe. I have kept the shoe in the same position but different colours for the light trail.

I used a one light set up when it came to using studio flash as I didn’t want the lighting to overexpose the flashlight that I used. I used a slow shutter speed of 4 seconds so I could try and get a swish line when trying this technique. I took a lot images for this photoshoot as it was mainly just all experimentation when trying this technique.

I haven’t edited out the sock in the shoe at the tongue of the shoe due to not knowing which image I should pick for a final yet so I am going to ask my peers and also my lecturer which image is the most appealing to them then refine the edit. This just saves time instead of me editing every single image I have narrowed down to just one.

What have I got from it?

I think this photoshoot has been successful in a way. It has made me realise I can be more creative and creating my own concepts. Having the light trail in the previous photoshoot with the trainers made me realise that I could potentially use this technique with the smart shoe collection and I think in my opinion it has worked effectively.

What’s next?

I am going to be speaking to my peers and tutor to see which image would be most suitable for my final images for my portfolio. I am also going to be researching into my potential demographic and who is the audience for the imagery. I will be almost finishing my project for my first module, so I will be speaking to my lecturer if their is anything else that I could do to improve my work.

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Techniques and Processes Specialist 3

Experimentation with Photoshop

What have I done?

I have decided to try and create more experimentation and tried to create more variety within my work so i decided to come up with a concept that would require Photoshop. I thought of the shoe trying to levitate and be almost looking like it is exiting the packaging box that the shoes came in. I used multiple layers to create this imagery. using photoshop masking tools. I also used the patch tool and content aware move tools to remove the metal pole and also to highlight certain areas of the shoe, as I used the reflector to expose the bottom of the shoe. I had camera steady on a tripod so I could keep the shoe aligned when in post production this made the editing process easier to complete. The editing process has now become easier as I have previously developed this technique more and used these techniques in previous imagery.

What have I got from it?

I think the imagery was successful and I also think that the colour of the backgrounds makes the imagery have more of a mood within the photo. I think that this imagery could potentially go into my finalised portfolio as I think that this will give more variety when it comes to my smart shoe collection.

What’s next?

I think that I will be creating a photoshoot for my smart shoe collection using light painting as when I previously tried this technique with the trainers collection I had a good response from peers and also my lecturer. I will see if this sort of technique would be suitable for the commercial context of the imagery as I am trying to represent a smart clothing brand through my shoe photography.

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Techniques and Processes 3 Specialist

Collaborating with Media Make Up students

What have I done?

For the last week of being able to go into university I have had the opportunity to work alongside the Media Make Up students. I have worked with a variety of students all with different projects. When speaking to the students I was asking questions about their project and also what they would like for their imagery. Having these communication skills helped me develop the imagery as I had a clear understanding of what the students would like for their imagery. I used a variety of lighting set ups but for the majority of the photoshoots I used a three light set up. I had two lights exposing the background with using light gels to give the different colours to the background. I then used a beauty dish facing the model as this is what is typically used for portraiture due to the way it distribute light evenly.

When in the post production part of the photoshoot. I slightly altered the colours just to enhance them in certain areas for example in the first image I thought for variety I will slightly change the background to more of a green colour so the client had options when choosing the imagery. To send the imagery to the students I used we transfer as this was the easiest option to send them digitally to them.

What have I got from it?

I have gained experience from working with Media Make Up students but also built confidence when working with clients. I think having the communication skills has helped me develop the imagery that I have produced. Creating these photoshoots has also benefited me for my portfolio as I will be able to use this imagery on my website.

What’s next?

I am going to be creating a photoshoot for my smart shoe collection as this is something I now need to prioritise as when reflecting back on my work, for the finalised imagery I have more for the trainer collection than the smart shoe collection therefore I am now going to be creating a photoshoot from my own idea create a finalised image that will be going in my portfolio.

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Techniques and Processes 3 Specialist

Post Production Editing

What have I done?

When using photoshop and creating this finalised imagery these are the techniques that I had to use to create the effect. I have used the content aware fill as you can see in the fifth image I had to create the heel of the shoe as this is where the shoe was held up by. I have also used masking layers so the shoe had no background. I then duplicated the layer of the shoe and enlarged the layer so the shoe would be larger. I then inverted the mask so the enlarged shoe wasn’t visible until I used the paint brush to paint in the enlarged shoe. I used a variety of brushes to experiment but I decided to use the brush seen in the first screenshot as it gave seemed to give more variety within the brush strokes. It also gave the effect I was looking for of a splash effect.

What have I got from it?

I think this photoshoot was effective and is going to become one of my finalised imagery the technique was relatively simple but I think effective and eye catching. The overall aesthetic of the is to try and enhance the background and not just have the shoe on a coloured background. I wanted to show the texture of the shoe enlarged so I thought by created a brush stroke effect it would make a textured background but also will show shoe in more detail.

What’s next?

I am going to be working from home now as this is becoming the end of semester one. I will be focusing on photoshoots that I have created last week. I will be analysing and creating blog posts about my recent work with media make up students as well. I will also be creating a plan for my finalised imagery.

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Techniques and Processes 3 Specalist

Using studio lighting and slow shutter speed experimentation

What have I done?

I have tried experimenting with slow shutter speed in the studio. I have tried being original and creating my own concept and imagery. The way I created this photoshoot was by having a beauty dish on a light head facing the front of the shoe. I then used a shutter speed of 4 seconds. I then used the LED lamp to create the light painting effect. I wanted to create a swoosh effect in my work as it reminded me of the Adidas 3 striped branding as these shoes were created by Adidas I wanted to represent a small part of their branding techniques within my work so creating the lines within my work I thought could be a creative way to incorporate their branding.

I used a perspex background and platform for the shoe to rest on. In my previous imagery I have used this so I could get reflections on the platform so the foreground of the image wasn’t just empty space. When in post production I used a masking layer to remove the fishing wire keeping the shoe in the standing position and also keeping the laces looking like they are hovering.

For the commercial context of my work I think that this type of imagery is something that I could see being used for online in an advertisement such as social media marketing but also could be used as a opening image on a website to promote the new collection of trainers available.

What have I got from it?

From this photoshoot I think that this photoshoot has been successful and will be used for my finalised imagery. It has shown me how i can create my own creative concept. With using my artist research I have been able to use elements from each photographer and come up with my own concept for my photoshoot. I think creating the light trails has been really effective within my imagery and is something to consider more within my work. I think have the light trails in the foreground benefits the image and makes the viewers first glance look at the shoe. I wanted to try and create a border effect so it looked like the viewer was looking through the light trails thats why there is light trails in the foreground and also the background.

What’s next?

I am going to be creating imagery similar to this as I think the light trails are interesting and work effectively. I will also be showing more of the post production and technical side for my development. As this is the last week of being able to use the studio I will be looking over my work to see where I can improve on photoshoots, I will also be looking at images to get them finalised so I know how many images I need to complete for this week. The reason for doing this is so I can prioritise my work in a specific area for example if I am slacking on the smart shoe side of the project I now know where to prioritise my time for this week.

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Techniques and Processes 3 Specialist

Post Production editing technique

What have I done?

To a previous post of my photoshoot i am showing the editing process of the smart shoe photoshoot. This photoshoot had a large editing process to create the hovering effect. I have also used a Hue and Saturation and Vibrance adjustment layers. For me to remove the stand supporting the shoe creating the hovering effect. I used the patch tool and also the content aware move so the shoe could look like it is floating.

The reason behind using the vibrance and saturation layers was as I was looking at the image and the shoe didn’t seem to have enough colour within the image and seemed to be almost grey-scaled. I used the adjustment layers to just enhance the imagery slightly. I think that this has benefited the imagery and made the mood of the image more warm and welcoming.

The editing process was quite quick to remove the metal pole as using the patch tool it could find a similar colour to the background so the removal of that was one of the easiest parts of the process. The most difficult part had to be where the shoe connected as there wasn’t much of the inside of the shoe where i could use the patch tool, so I had to create the inside of the shoe from a small part of the inside of the shoe but I think it was quite effective and worked out well within the imagery.

What have I got from it?

Using these techniques has been useful and has worked effective within my work. I will be using these imagery in the future and also using these techniques to create imagery with the floating effect in the future. I think that using the spotlight to create the highlight on the tip of the shoe is effective and will be used in the future for the smart shoe side of my project.

What’s next?

I am going to be creating my own imagery now and trying to come up with a concept. I will be using light trails in the studio to see the outcome. I will also be presenting more of my editing production side in photoshop to my previous shoots to show how I created the imagery.

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