Shoot 9 Work Diary

For this shoot I wanted to continue my work in the more visual and stylistic aspects of hyperreality as a subject instead of metaphorical. This work into hyperreality is directly inspired by the photographer Cedric Delsaux and his work into Star Wars related photography. I have attempted to replicate this through the same use of miniatures and have decided to blend them into real world environments. An image from Delsaux which acted as a major influence was one which features an AT-AT from Star Wars. The most notable thing about this image was the fact that the AT-AT contrasted so heavily with the environment that it highlighted how dull the real world is compared to the fantasy world of star wars. The image was presented through gritty, realistic colours that appear almost muted. This influenced me as I could directly link these themes to the subject of hyperreality and the way that the heightened world of the media contrasts with our reality. Also I wanted to develop this idea and explore how reality and hyperreality can be blurred together through this technique and how ideas of hyperealities can affect the way we perceive the real world. I was going to achieve this shoot by using a combination of landscape photography and small-scale miniature photography. The landscape shoots would vary, however it was the miniatures that would be the key to making the effect convincing. I adjusted my camera settings in order to match the settings required to take a detailed image on a small-scale. I was taking these miniatures with low light so I compensated by using a shutter speed of 1/20, an f stop of 16 and an ISO of 600. This would allow me to achieve the required detail within the image on a small scale.

Cedric Delsaux influence:

My images:

This image features a busy area within New York. I have purposely chosen this heavily advertised area as advertisement plays such a heavy role within the subject of hyperreality. I have chosen to add a toy of the bat mobile in order to enhance the image. I have given the model more authenticity by matching the lighting and adding the flame within the exhaust. I to use a toy as it draws connotations to imagination which blends seamlessly into the real world, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.

This image features a more realistic attempt at the method by placing a model of a plane within the image. I adjusted the lighting within the image in order to more accurately depict what a figure in the sky would look like. The smoke trail implies that the plane is broken but at the same time it provides scale and a sense of believability to the audience. The black and white tones were used in order to create contrasts within the skyline, highlighting what I wanted audiences to see.

To begin, I used the quick selection tool in order to highlight the model. I then copied and pasted the image onto the background which I wanted to use. In order to match the gritty tones that can be seen within the work of Cedric Delsaux, I used a black and white filter once I had framed the object correctly.

I then adjusted aspects of the black and white filter. I wanted to create darker tones within the image in order to offer connotations of dullness. I also wanted to make the sky darker in order to believably contrast the model from the sky. I then made the object darker through the use of brightness and contrast. Once this was completed I slightly dropped the opacity of the object to 76% in order to blend the two images together better. I then used a brush tool to simulate the effect of a trail of smoke leaving the plane.

Progression:

This shoot worked out well and I was able to accurately replicate the types of photographs that Cedric Delsaux has taken. However, the success of the shoot has made me curious about where else I could have taken the technique. If I were to do the shoot again I would like to experiment by using people within the image and changing their size. I would also like to have experimented with different weather types such as fog in order to blend the images just as Delsaux had previously done.