Evaluation

For this studio lighting module I decided to concentrate on fashion, with a link to advertising –to create images that would appear in upmarket teen/lifestyle magazines, My initial research involved me flicking through clothing catalogues, however the repetitive high key studios set up didn’t really appeal to me –the images lack creativity and atmosphere and simply aimed to advertise the items of clothing. My plan was to create images that allowed my target audience to imagine them selves in the models place, in that situation, wearing the clothes my models are wearing. And so my idea was to create a “party feeling” –girls getting ready together for a night out- this are the link to the interior/exterior theme of the module.
I began in the studio workshops experimenting with high, low and mid key lighting-where I learnt how much power and effect lighting could have on an image. I found it very difficult to get familiar with F stops and ratios etc-but with help from my peers and tutors I feel I am getting to grips with working in the studio and I feel that during the workshops I was able to create some effective lighting set ups using reflectors and soft boxes. I also went on to research lighting set-ups in more depth on the Internet.
In preparation for my final shoot, I asked my models to come into the studio so I could experiment with positioning etc before using the lighting. It also allowed me to play with outfits and props etc so that the final shoot would run as smoothly as possible. From spending a few hours in the studio I felt I wanted to take the shoot out of the studio, which would mean hiring the ranger kits. I decided to this because without using a lot of large props, it would be very difficult to create a believable bedroom scene- I wanted to create a girls bedroom in which the models are getting ready for a night out. And so I decided the easiest way to do this was to actually use a bedroom!
During setting up the ranger kit, I took a few snap shots to experiment with the composition of my images in high key lighting. After my shoot I went through my images and decided that despite my first intentions I actually preferred the images shot that were slightly higher key lighting rather than mid key. The images were more fresh and vibrant looking-and I think this would be allot more desirable to my target audience. My initial reasons for not shooting in high key were because I thought the images would lack atmosphere, but this was when I was planning in the studio- however I then chose to shoot in my bedroom, which has a lot of atmosphere. The interaction between the models also adds an exciting and interesting atmosphere. 
The high key images also looked a lot more professional, and I could see them more in a glossy magazine. And so, I planned another shoot with my models in order to shoot more images in high key. 


During the shoot, it was quite difficult trying to communicate my ideas with my models- and so I showed them some of the images I had come across in magazines so that they could see the general direction I was looking for. The models had a lot of fun during the shoot and I think this added a lot of truth to my images- girls having a good time getting ready together before a night out. I think that the truth in the images make them alot more accessible to my audience as teenagers/young women could imagine themselves in the situations and so can relate to the models and could imagine themselves in the clothes they are advertising. I also think that the relaxed feel of some of the images suggest that the clothes being advertised, are comfortable etc to wear- which is suggested by some of the models positions.
For my final shoot I decided that in order to make my images more high key I needed to use more lighting. For this shoot, I took out the elinchrom lighting. This time, because wanting to make my shoot a bit more High key I needed 2 or 3 lights (usually 4 would be needed but due to my space being so small and with it being not a plain white set I decided 2 would be sufficient). One to light the scene and one to light the models. In order to create the high key (is) lighting I required I used a ratio of 2:1 to ensure less shadows etc. I decided that my background needed to be between f-stop 16 and 22, and then my model must be a stop down to ensure to separate the model from the background effectively.
I decided that due to the lack of space in my bedroom, it would be impossible to shoot in completely high key due to there not being enough space to light both the models and back wall. Also so much light in the small enclosed area would have been too much. And so my images, have slight shadows which adds a slightly warmer feel to my images, however are still bright and colorful, which made the contrast work really well- I used one light to light the background and one to light the models. I shot about 100 images during this shoot and then spent time narrowing my images down to 10. When editing down the amount of images, I had to bare in mind such things as the lighting quality, the composition, the coloring, the focus and the models facial expressions. I then narrowed my images down further to just 3 final images.
My 3 final images are high contrasted which enhances the vibrant bright looking outfits my models are advertising. My images show slight shadows, which adds a bit of depth to my images, however the shadows are very slight so not to take any attention away from the models and scene. The shadows were formed due to there not being enough space between the models and back wall to allow me to light both completely separately The 3 images I chose are quite different from one another, one being quite seductive and posed, one natural looking fun and the other quite retro and so I think they look quite effective as a series.
Sourcing models for this module was easy; I have 8 beautiful flat mates that were all willing to help. I decided on the models I did due to them being very different looking from one another, which I think, adds variety and more character to my images. I chose some contrasting outfits as I think that this works well with higher key lighting, as the colours become vibrant and more alive looking rather than flat and dull. I am pleased with my final images, considering I have had so little experience with studio lighting, I’m aware that I could improve my lighting a great deal however it was very difficult with so little space. Next time, I plan to use a bigger area for my shoot so that I can create a proper high key set up using 4 lights. However, for the sake of this project, I feel that the slight shadows and variation make the bedroom scene seem more real. Despite this being a group project, our group didn’t work very closely however we kept in regular contact to ensure our work was developing, and to offer our help to one another when needed.