OUTCOMES PHOTOSHOOT

Our latest project was focused on the outcome stage of our idea development. We started by looking at 2005 Vogue photoshoot 'Trans-Siberian Express by Norbert Schoerner and developed 5 words/phrases which we felt best described the shoot themes and ideas which we decided were; Raw beauty, obsessive romance, promiscuous intensity, assisted independence and journey for freedom.

The next step in our development was to develop ideas surrounding our given fashion accessory which was shoes, this accessory has to be included in our shoot without it appearing to be commerical so we began buy brain storming everything that came to mind when we thought about shoes and tried to take it as far as we could to come up with a abstract idea of shoes. We then brainstormed our inital ideas for the photoshoot, keeping in mind the Vogue shoot we had looked into. We decided that we wanted to go down the path of relationships and heartbreak and how people effect one another in the relationship. We settled on the idea of having foot prints on each persons body to show the mark they leave on one another, also encorporating the shoe accessory, but our next struggle was choosing if we wanted three different couples, if they were same or different gender, race and then the actual layout and positioning of the image. Then we had to decide on which type of shoe we would use for the footprints on the body, we looked at heels, trainers, boots and a standard shoe, we looked the story each one tells and decided on the boot for our image as it best to represent both men and women and leaves quite a heavy impact.

We did some trial images of some girls and boys naked bodies to the digitally add on the footprints and have the boy and the girl next to one another with a different amount of footprints on each to show the difference of how much they effected one another. After we completed these images we decided we really didn't like how these looked. We mind mapped all of the things we didn't like to give us a clear image of what we need to change to improve. Then from this we brain stormed what we are going to change about the images to make them better. The main changes we made were to have the couple actually in the image together and we added shoes laces as a representation of the ties they have to one another and how they are being held together by the relationship, the laces also link back to our shoe prop we were given. The photoshoot was now more about falling out of love. We also decided to actually paint to footprints onto their bodies so they looked more realistic. We thought about diversifying our models and thought about having a same gender couple but we were worried that it might not be as clear that they are a couple, even though we are fully in support of this it's become quite sterotypical and more of a box ticking feature to involve and we feel it's ok to still use a different sex couple, but we did now involve a mixed race male to add a bit of diversity.

We brought some boots from Primark and some white and black laces and paint for the prints. We painted the base of the boots and then put them onto the models bodies and then wrapped them in shoe laces.

These are the three final images we selected

We chose these because the first one really showed off the footprints on the bodies and the laces are quite tight, holding couple together. There is a lot more attention on the girls face as she looks away from the male, almost in disapproval and his face isn't revealed as he looks down. He is bare on his top and she is in just a bra, with so much bare skin it shows vulnerability but also sexual connection. There is also emphasis on the different skin colours. The second image is one that wasn't planned until the day and we thought it could be effective. This one is of the couples fingers placed together and wrapped in a shoes lace, really making our message clear that they are connected and trapped together. Also by using the fingers it looks almost as though they are making a pinkie promise to one another. The lace actually only goes down the girls hand and onto her arm, showing that shes trying to hold onto him and the relationship whilst he tries to breakout of it. The final image is again of the couple but this time there is a lot more concentration on the males face as he is in the front of the image. The way his arm is raised and there isn't many laces around the top of his arm it looks as though he is breaking out them and pushing them off himself whilst she looks away in pain whilst still covered with laces. There is also no footprints on his back which shows he isn't as effected by her and she hasn't left that much of an impact on him, whereas her marks are very prominant.