Shoot 1.1: “Comfort” narrative  

I took all of the photographs for this narrative at home, in my room. I used natural lighting to give the photos more of a “soft” look, and post-processed them with Color Balance, adding more red and yellow to increase the sense of warmth.

  Artist References 
(Stylistic) AR 1: Wolfgang Tillmans

His still life photography shows the beauty in the banal. He makes everyday objects look almost luscious – I wanted to bring out that same quality in my photographs of just the book.

 

(Stylistic) AR 2: Jeffrey Larson

I really enjoy the analogous colors he uses to unite the elements in the photograph – it’s very harmonious and makes looking at the image comfortable and easy, which is also another technique I wanted to try.

 

  Close up shots

I tried taking the photos from a variety of angles with a fluffy rug and back lighting from the steps on my platform bed. The fluffy rug looks soft and inviting, which goes in line with the theme I had in mind. I also used the rug because it’s white and is harmonious with the grey steps, in line with Jeffrey Larson’s aesthetic.

  Close up shots of myself with object

Artist Reference
(Angles) AR 3: Oliver Charles

I particularly enjoy this photograph by Oliver Charles. It is very warm, enveloping me in its world. Here, the darkened edges heighten the sense of coziness more – I tried to do that with some of my photographs below as well.

 

 

 

 

I tried framing and different poses, but I felt that the top row didn’t convey as much of the comfort I wanted to bring across. I prefer the second row for the emotional connection, but ultimately the last picture was my favorite (happy, warm), compared to the other one which looked a bit confrontational with the hand coming towards the camera.

  Mid-range and Full figure shots

Artist Reference
(Angles) AR 4: Martin Parr

I realized a lot of the test shots I was taking looked the same, so I looked to Martin Parr for some ideas on how I could frame my shots. He photographs people from really uncommon angles, and I feel that it reveals something very honest about them. I wanted to try to emulate this honesty in my work as well, as I’m trying to relate to the viewer about the comfort I feel when I read.

Full figure Shots

I tried including some props like my stuffed toy dog and a blanket to give a more cozy feel. I asked for some friends’ opinions and they said they thought the toy dog was real, which was amusing. I wasn’t really feeling the dog, though, to be honest – I felt like it distracted from the main subject. I like the last image best because I composed it such that the blankets’ line would lead to me, so there was a greater focus on the subject.

Mid range shots

These were my favorite to take because I felt that I could explore the most with angles and lighting.

  Final Shots Chosen

I chose these three photographs as I felt that they told the story of what I feel and do when I read “The Fairy Kitten” – the story draws me in at first, then I get comfortable reading it, then (I get too comfortable) and fall asleep reading it.