Contact Strip
Please click on the thumbnail to view the contact strip full-size.
Green circles indicate images that I considered using, as I liked them.
Red arrows indicate images that I didn't like at all.
The Final Photographs
For my third photoshoot using the theme of "Disguise" and the idea of "Cosplay Photography" I decided to use the character "Luka Megurine" from the Japanese music video "Just Be Friends." This music video features the main character singing to the love of her life, deciding that the two of them should just be friends. In order to achieve this shoot, I used warm studio lighting in order to illuminate the entirety of the model. I used a Nkion D3100 and a tripod in order to achieve sharp images.
This first photograph features the cosplayer sat at a angle from the lens, with her fringe covering half of her face. She is hugging her knees to her chest, and has a neutral, ambigious, expression. I chose to edit out the original background in order to draw the eye directly to the model and to prevent the photograph from looking too cluttered. As I used electric lighting in this photoshoot, the model has a slightly warm tone to her - something I decided to keep as I felt that it created an overall soothing tone to the photograph. In regards to photoshop, asides from cropping out the background, I only edited the levels on the photograph in order create a slight contrast between the light and dark areas of the image.
Concerning the emotional aspect of this photograph, the fact that the models face is hidden from the camera suggests that she is hiding her expression from the audience. This fits in with the theme of the video, it is as if we are the lover, and she is casting her gaze away from us out of sadness. In regards to the main focal point of the image, I believe it to be the models face, which emphasises the previously mentioned theory.
This first photograph features the cosplayer sat at a angle from the lens, with her fringe covering half of her face. She is hugging her knees to her chest, and has a neutral, ambigious, expression. I chose to edit out the original background in order to draw the eye directly to the model and to prevent the photograph from looking too cluttered. As I used electric lighting in this photoshoot, the model has a slightly warm tone to her - something I decided to keep as I felt that it created an overall soothing tone to the photograph. In regards to photoshop, asides from cropping out the background, I only edited the levels on the photograph in order create a slight contrast between the light and dark areas of the image.
Concerning the emotional aspect of this photograph, the fact that the models face is hidden from the camera suggests that she is hiding her expression from the audience. This fits in with the theme of the video, it is as if we are the lover, and she is casting her gaze away from us out of sadness. In regards to the main focal point of the image, I believe it to be the models face, which emphasises the previously mentioned theory.
"I remembered the season when we first met
And your sweetly smiling face
I push the present to the past and received the scars that we both got
Our hearts are full of thorns"
- English translation of one verse from "Just Be Friends"
This second photograph features the same model from a view from the side. I personally do not like this photograph as the cropping in photoshop is too obvious due to the nature of the original image. The fact the lines are so clean makes it look as if the editing was rushed. Also, this photograph features the chair which she is sat on, which draws the eye away from the intended focal point, which ideally would have been the models face.
In regards to editing in photoshop. I cropped out the background, and edited the levels in order to create shadows on the previously light image. As this photograph was originally taken in unsuitable lighting, the colours in the image were too orange, so edited the saturation and hue in order to create a much more natural feeling. However, I still feel that the overall colours of the image are too yellow, which washes out the vibrance of the wig and the models original olive skin.
In conclusion, I believe this photoshoot to be average. It was used as an experiment to see whether I could photograph in a eletric light. However, once again I am glad that I was able to replicate the character, in the form of cosplay photography.
In regards to editing in photoshop. I cropped out the background, and edited the levels in order to create shadows on the previously light image. As this photograph was originally taken in unsuitable lighting, the colours in the image were too orange, so edited the saturation and hue in order to create a much more natural feeling. However, I still feel that the overall colours of the image are too yellow, which washes out the vibrance of the wig and the models original olive skin.
In conclusion, I believe this photoshoot to be average. It was used as an experiment to see whether I could photograph in a eletric light. However, once again I am glad that I was able to replicate the character, in the form of cosplay photography.
Original Character Image
Megurine Luka - Just Be Friends.