Unit 57: Photography and Photographic PractiseProject Proposal

(P2, P3, M2, M3, D2, D3)

Candidate name:

Theme: Music Magazine Portrait Photo Shoot

Predicted final outcome

I’ll be carrying out a photoshoot in Salford around Guildford Road area in order to produce portrait professional looking photos that will be used within a music magazine. Ideally I’ll capture at least 50 photos, however only ten of these will make it to the final selection.

Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others)

New Musical Express (NME) is a music magazine commonly associated with indie rock and alternative music that I have drawn a lot of inspiration from.

Dean Chalkey is a freelance photographer known for taking portrait photos of some of the music industry’s biggest artists. His backdrops for each artist are carefully chosen in order to capture there essence- they tie in with the genre of music they’re known for. The above two photos are of Jake Bugg- an indie rock/indie folk musician. Indie music is known for being very low budget; therefore we tend to associate the music videos with being filmed in parks, tunnels, undergrounds etc. Dean Chalkey’s photos represent this- they stay true to the artist, which is something that appeals to me. The low angle photo appeals to me the most since it gives this idea of being empowered- he’s showing his presence. Dean Chalkey uses a small spotlight on his subjects in order to make their faces stand out; however I’d

preferably like to use the natural lighting of the sun during late afternoon in order to give the photos a grungy feel.

Tom Oxley is another freelance portrait photograper known or taking photos for some of the biggest production companies in the music industry. Colour is an imprtant aspect for me within a photograph, therefore the vibrancy within his image really appeals to me- it adds an element of fun. His use of simple bacdrops allows the artist to be the focus of the image. Tom Oxleys photos are very ‘tidy’- the artist is posed perfectly, artisficial lighting is used in order to remove imperfections and the photos are very crisp. Whilst his use of colour both appeals and influences me, the plain background doesn’t really represent who the artist truly is. Florence and the machine are known for their robust and romantic style, however other hat the use of red, this cant be gathered from the photo.

Lawrence Watson is a portrait photographer that takes both portrait and live music

photos. His style of photography is very unique and differentiates from any other photographer’s work I’ve seen before. Lawrence Watson takes his photos during sunset or sunrise in order to capture the silhouettes of the artist he’s photographing. This style of photography really appeals to me; however the problem we’re faced with is that we can’t see who the artist is. Therefore if I was to recreate this style of photography, rather than an extremely slow shutter speed that will create a complete silhouette, I’ll speed it up a little in order for some of the facial features to be obvious.

The photo imaging equipment and medium that will be used and why

Use your camera.. plus what ever else you think put some info about your camera

I’ll be using a NikonD3100 in order to capture my photos. This is a fairly basic beginner DSLR that allows for professional looking photos. I’d ideally like my images to be very crisp, therefore by using the NikonD3100, its resolution of 14.2MP allows for this whilst also capturing all detail within the frame. The camera is accustomed to shoot in most lighting, meaning I can easily achieve my desired effect. Whilst automatic mod is available, I’ll be using manual mode in order to control the three key setting- ISO, Aperture and shutter speed. The camera has an 18-55mm lens with a built in vibration reduction, making it even easier to shoot at a slower shutter speed without a tripod.

Techniques that will be used and how they will help convey the visual message

When thinking about the composition of my photo, I’ll keep the rule of thirds in mind in order to produce more visually appealing images that will attract the eye. The subject of my photo will either be positioned within the left or right hand side of the image, since a centred image typically leads to an unnatural composition. In a portrait photos the eyes ae always an important element, they’re typically what draws us in; therefore I’ll place them within the focal point of the top third of the frame.

In order to capture images similar to that of Lawrence Watson I’ll need to use a shutter speed of around 1/200-1/300- I want some of the subjects’ features to be visible. The images will consist of a large depth of field, therefore I need to use an f-stop of f8 or higher. Lighting is of importance when capturing a silhouette- it acts a backlight- this means the photo needs to be taken during the sunniest tie of the day, o when the sun is setting or rising.

Indie rock is commonly associated with grunge; therefore I want my images to include more rich and defined colouring in order to represent this genre. In order to achieve this I’d need to increase my shutter speed so that the exposure time is prolonged.

I’ll be using natural lighting, meaning manual mode is an important element to me- I’ll need to change the setting in order to capture the right style of photo I’m

aiming and to suit the lighting dependent on the time of day it is.

Location of shoot

Salford: Guildford Road/Light Oaks Road

My photos will be used in magazines such as NME and Rock Sound- two magazines that focus on both less well known ‘underground’ artists and famous figures within the indie/rock scene. I’ll be taking my photos within Salford in the back alleys of the Guildford Road/Light Oaks Road area. Indie artist are known for their low budget locations, therefore I want this to be apparent within the images- the artist need to be within their ‘natural’ setting.

Risk and health and safety considerations

A risk assessment will be carried out for each photoshoot.