I recently attended Brighton Photo Benial . I visited various galleries and exhibitions as well as having opportunities for our my documentary experiments. With Brighton being a city renowned for celebrating diversity and challenging stereo types it was fitting that one of our preliminary studies was looking at the 'Dandy Lion Project'.
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dandy
ˈdandi/
noun
This project explores the black dandy phenomena which explores fashion and indivdualtiy and I visited an exhibition displaying portraiture
and documentary shots in relation to this.
I was drawn to the work of Osborne Macharia and these two photos:
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dandy
ˈdandi/
noun
- a man unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable.
"his floppy handkerchiefs and antique cufflinks gave him the look of a dandy"
synonyms: fop, beau man about town, bright young thing, glamour boy, rake.
This project explores the black dandy phenomena which explores fashion and indivdualtiy and I visited an exhibition displaying portraiture
and documentary shots in relation to this.
I was drawn to the work of Osborne Macharia and these two photos:
These diptychs display Mrs. Kamau Njuguna, former governor and the central bank of Kenya (right) and Ms. M Adhiambo, former minister of trade and industry (left). The bright contrasts in colour are a key fashion feature of the Dandy Lion project. The outfits worn may be stereotyped as being masculine clothing, these women however are rocking the look.
Within the exhibition there was a bright yellow staircase which was ideal for shooting model Paul in his yellow and purple attire.
I felt this were mostly successful, I initially had a few technical errors in my first attempts however but using a fluorescent light setting with a high aperture with and fast shutter speed to get I was able a sharp silhouette in front of the light.
I felt this were mostly successful, I initially had a few technical errors in my first attempts however but using a fluorescent light setting with a high aperture with and fast shutter speed to get I was able a sharp silhouette in front of the light.
In this photography I feel the shape of Paul's outstretched arm works well in giving a strong line through the surrounding yellow walls. Alongside this there's evident symmetry the stair bannister creates.
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Here the square light is prominent to the photo , lighting face and silhouette giving a feint shadow behind him. Also the line created by his feet echoes the black banister leading out the photo.
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Another exhibition that sparked my interest was the 'Reimagine' exhibition. It displayed the work of Olivia Arthur (UK) and Bharat Sikka (India). These two photographers collaborated for the first time to explore the representation of self-image. With Brighton being one of the gay capitals of the UK, there is an obvious difference in public display in contrast to Mumbai. In Mumbai there is a complexity in terms of how people express their sexuality; homosexuality is banned and with it carries an enormous amounts of shame.
I found these portraits particularly striking and the whole exhibition of great relevance. As part of my AS studies I was exploring the theme of "Transformation" and in particular the concept of gender and those who may in fact identify as transgender. Although there are some audio/ technical issues; here is my short documentary entitled "Tomato Soup" which follows two young peoples thoughts and feelings towards their gender.
With now influences on portraiture from the "Reimagine" exhibition it was time for some experiments in the laines. Having not done many portraits prior to this I knew it would challenge my creative confidence when working with strangers. After recently having a visit from photographer Tom Oldham, he talked us through how he usually sets up a shoot, an although his work is usually under a studio setting with famous figures. His project ''The Longest Day" documents him taking 24 peoples portraits in 24hrs across London.
www.tomoldham.com/blog/2016/6/23/the-longest-day-a-portrait-of-east-london
www.tomoldham.com/blog/2016/6/23/the-longest-day-a-portrait-of-east-london
Another photographer whose portraits I have been drawn to is the acclaimed Bruce Gilden. I saw some of these on large prints at the Strange and Familiar gallery at the Barbican in London.
Although different to what I was looking to capture, Gilden's up close, detailed portraits were something to keep in mind when on this task. Especially when trying to capture ones character in a photo; his photography bares great relevance.
Here are my own shots in Brighton. I am overall pleased with the outcome with a few standing out moreover others. This was a great task to undertake for it developed my technical skills when adapting to the different lighting and scenarios whilst building my confidence when working with people for a portrait.
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