LILY HALLIDAY

 To start my personal investigation I initially explored the word child and what it meant (child - young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority). I branched off different ideas of what topics I was able to explore within the theme of youth and how I could portray my theme through my work. I also created a mood board of images sourced from the internet, social media and Pinterest that initially inspired me about possible techniques I could use, being something that I could refer back to later.

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Kicking starting my research I looked into the artist Sally Parker who captured amazing pictures of her younger daughters running, playing and showing the true essence of children. I found that Parker explored many different aspects within her work but I initially interpreted this as showing children and their playful manner. I was able to experiment in the style of Parker by carrying out my own shoot. This consisted of my two younger sisters carrying out similar actions in similar locations. Although, after more thorough research I came across her project 'Strong is the New Pretty', and found that a selection of the photographs I had researched portrayed the idea of girl empowerment and strength in young girls. This became clearer after digging deeper into Parkers photographs and taking note of the technique and process she went through to create her work. To refine my ideas, I also experimented in the style of Parker further focusing on the idea of girl empowerment. Like Parker, I captured by younger sister dressed in her favourite hobby outfit, karate, against harsh brick walls and areas that created an amazing contrast between the innocence of the little girl and the dull and rough background. I also re-enforced this brick background using both models again asking them to pose closely together wrapping their arms around each other to show an empowerment of each other and how individuals can influence others for the best. Within all of Parkers work I noticed the continued use of a greyscale effect which I found helped to emphasise the youth within the girls faces emphasising their freckle, young skin and baby hairs. Within the empowerment shoot I found this was particularly important as it helped to emphasise the contrast of the young girl being associated with very strong themes.

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Following on from this I researched into the artist Sally Mann, who also captured photographs of young individuals but carrying out adult like actions. For example, in a selection of photographs Mann shows young girls pretending to smoke using candy stick and pushing toy prams and babies around suggesting they are older in age. This links in well with the idea of young girls influencing each other, showing that younger children very easily take influence from different people such as their peers, siblings and parents. To work in the style of Mann, I carried out my own shoot using the same models as previously. I focused on very similar actions are locations as Mann making sure to capture the candy cigarette in hand. During the shoot, I found this aspect so effective I found myself asking my model to place to stick in her mouth to make it appear as if she was smoking. I loved the idea of exploring influences on children and wanted to continue this aspect within my work.

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At this point, I came across the artist Mary Ellen Mark who explores a very similar theme to Mann. Although instead of using fake items to rein-act adult actions, Mark captures both girls and boys of a wider age range physically carrying out those actions such as smoking, crime and parenting. In her photographs real cigarettes and babies are seen with the children no longer 'acting' like an adult. Again, to work in the style of Mark I carried out my own shoot but this time round captured a slightly older male model with a physical cigarette. Even though at this point I had been using younger models, I wanted to explore the diversity Mark showed in her shoots. I found that this shoot was very successful in portraying my ideas with the chosen location helping to emphasise it even further. Because it was so successful, I took my younger female model back to the same location to take more refined photographs. I found the use of this subject combined with younger models even more effective, which inspired me to focus especially on how young children can be badly influenced by the addictions of others. I found that the cigarette held in the child’s hand was very dramatic and shocking, and therefore decide to specialise in smoking. This time round, I also reintroduced the bunny cuddly toy that I had been suing in my previous shoots, as I felt this added an amazing contrast emphasising eh young age of my model carrying out adult actions.

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After reviewing my intentions, I moved onto the artist Frieke Janssens who captured close ups of young children smoking. These photographs instantly caught my eye as they were so shocking and out of the norm. I loved the idea of incorporating smoke into my cigarette photographs to make them even more visually effective to portray my theme. Initially, I took my own photographs in the style of Janssens using a similar black backdrop. The main aspect I wanted to leave behind from Janssens work was the use of theatrical costumes, but I felt as if this aspect didn’t link in very well with my theme. Therefore, I dressed my model in a simple black shirt that would allow the focus to take place on the smoke itself. I found that the shoot was successful and that the incense sticks I use to produce the smoke worked well. Although, after the editing process I felt that the model looked out of place next to the smoke and that it looked too unrealistic.

 

Therefore, I followed on to adding the same smoke effect to my existing shoots of my younger model smoking outside. Because the surrounding is more every day, I thought that this would help the image to become more realistic. Although, I came across a problem at first of the background behind the smoke not blending effectively into the background. And that there was too much of a contrast between the two images because of the open spaces shown in the image. To refine my ideas, I followed to take another shoot using my younger model surrounded by more enclose areas with darker backgrounds that would match the smoke layer I would add. Again, I made sure to include the cigarette and the bunny to keep my theme continuous throughout. After this, I tried again adding the smoke to the cigarette in the new photographs I had taken. But, this time round I used a smoke image that had no background at all that allowed me very easily to apply the smoke without me having the blend the background together. I also found that the developed photographs worked extremely well paired with the smoke, but in some way it still appeared slightly unrealistic an aspect I wanted to stay away from.

At this stage within my project, because I was finding it difficult combing the model with the smoke I began to search new ways of including smoke within my photography that would still allow my theme to be effectively portrayed. Because I found that the individual smoke aspect within each of my edits was still effective on its own, I carried out an individual shoot capturing simple wisps of smoke. I felt this was effective and allowed me to refine my ideas and processes deciding which colour and position of smoke worked best that I would be able to refer back to later on.

 

After reviewing my intentions once more, I researched into the artist Laurence Demaison, who captured and created smoke covered portraits. Demaison used two different techniques within their work, focusing on different volumes of smoke. To create initial experiments, I layered my previous smoke photographs over the faces of my existing photographs of my model to see whether the outcome was effective. Although the edits were easy to create, I found that the result was unsuccessful and that each of the photographs looked very fake.

To refine my experiments of smoke covering my models face, I carried out a shoot using real smoke rather than editing in the smoke over the face. Firstly, I used an incense stick in front of my models face. But, I found that the amount of smoke produced wasn’t at a high enough level and was therefore ineffective. Another technique I used to create a similar smoke effect, was blowing baby powder at my camera lense. I found that this was successful to a certain extent and created more smoke than previously, but that it made the photograph itself too early and didn’t link in well with my past experiments.

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To attempt to create a much higher volume of smoke, and to work in the style of a new artist I referenced called Jovana Rikalo, I carried out a smoke bomb shoot. I found this the most successful when I used two smoke bombs together that produced a lot more smoke than any other of my experiments. Although, I found that it was hard to difficult due to the movement of the smoke and found that my model was less concentrated on poses and facial expressions which made my photographs less effective. Although, I loved how the smoke surrounded my model and the bunny she was holding. At this point, I felt my theme moving from the idea of parental influences, more onto how a parent’s addiction effects a child’s life covering their home and possessions.

Because I had struggled so much with photographing smoke and editing it over the face of my model, I wanted to find a new way of incorporating the idea of smoke. To follow on from the movement of the smoke in my smoke bomb shoot covering my model and her bunny, I researched into NHS anti-smoking adverts that showed videos of parents smoking. The second hand smoke from their cigarettes, even though not seen in real life, was shown smothering the child and their possessions. This inspired me to research into the artist Geoffrey Ricardo who created prints of soft toys. I felt that this technique would link in perfectly with the idea of smoke covering a child’s toys and would bring forward to iconic bunny I have used within all my shoots, with the white paint in the prints representing the smoke. To work in the style of Ricardo, I created my own print which I found very visually effective but at the same time felt I was losing the physical smoke aspect itself.

 

Therefore to combine the two, I searched into more anti-smoking adverts and came across the artist Seven Styles who creates photographs using smoke on Photoshop. This technique was the answer to the problems I had come across throughout the experimentation in my project trying to combine the aspect of my model and the smoke. Instead, this technique formed the two aspects into one. To initially experiment, I used an existing image of my model as I had no other photographs suitable. Even though this photograph showed a cigarette in hand that I mentioned within my project that I wanted to leave behind, it was purely for experimental purposes. I felt because this technique was so purposeful and effective, the message would still be put across just as well without the aspect of a cigarette.

 

Next, I was able to move on to the development of my final piece. To bring my attention back to the aspect of the bunny in my photographs, I carried out a mini shoot capturing pictures of the cuddly toy. Afterwards, I created a smoke outline effect in the style of Styles using the best bunny photograph. I found that this was effective but that if I were to recreate the effect I would have to reposition the areas of focused smoke. To refine my ideas, I also created a bear smoke edit using an over exposure technique to see whether the outcome was any more effective. Although the experiments were easy to create and purposeful, I still found that the experiments in the style of Styles were more visually effective. To refine my ideas further, I took my final photo shoot capturing the poses and expressions I wanted for my model for my final piece making sure to include the iconic bunny. I found my experiments using these photographs effective both visually and emphasising the idea of parents influencing children and their addictions surroundings their lives and possessions well, being able to finally move on to me final piece.