Woke up extra early this morning and was pleased to see that there was no rain falling from the sky. I headed out to the La Reunion land to unload my gear and do some prep before the girls arrived.
The land had a full week to dry out from a month of rain but the area of my original location pick was still mucky. I grabbed my camera and started framing out areas. I found a spot that was even better than the first pick.
Location for Shot #1 + #2
The girls arrived and we did a quick orientation with everyone and split off into our groups. I had four fantastic young women working with me. Erika, Roxanne, Cindy and Daisy followed me down into the woods to begin our day together.
I had prepared packets for them to read and a schedule of the day. Here is some of the information they received.
Location: 4585 West Jefferson
Dallas, Texas 75211
Park in the gravel area on the right hand side of the road. There will
be a empty garage up the hill to your right. Head that way and give
me a call. I should have someone waiting for you.
Schedule: 7:30-9:00 Erica Arrive and unload to location
9:00-9:30 Orient gear and prepare location for the day
9:30-10:15 Concept discussion and direction
10:15-11:15 Prepare Set and Pre-lighting
11:00 Crew Arrive to Set
11:15-12:00 Discussion with crew
12:00-12:45 Girls break for Lunch model in m/u
1:00-2:30 Shoot three shots for series
2:30-3:00 Wrap and Breakdown Set
3:00-3:30 Pack gear and head home
Project:
“The Price of Beauty” SeriesConcept:We have a woman who has great external beauty, the main character of this work. She lives in an unbalanced world that only pays tribute her outer self, leaving her empty and incomplete. In an attempt to end her life in the forest she fails, allowing her a chance to look within and see her inner beauty and herself as a whole. For the ultimate beauty lies inside and knowing who you truly are.
The main topic is the misperceived belief of beauty that women face in this world. The “really beautiful” people are often not seen for who they truly are and the “other people” are obsessed with the idea of unattainable beauty. Our main character is essentially a phoenix that rises from false perception of her own external beauty.
Tools for Describing the Story:Metaphor - A metaphor is a direct comparison between two or more seemingly unrelated subjects describing one subject as being alike to another subject in some way. Metaphors are useful for illustrating ideas, simplifying complex subjects and making people think.
Visual Metaphor – “A visual metaphor is a device for encouraging insights, a tool to think with. . . .
"That is, with visual metaphors, the image-maker proposes food for thought without stating any determinate proposition. It is the task of the viewer to use the image for insight."
(Noël Carroll, "Visual Metaphor," in Beyond Aesthetics. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001)
Conceptual Photography:Conceptual photography is a photography genre in which the artists makes a photograph of a concept or idea. Usually the conception of the idea precedes the realization of the photography. This kind of photography often involves use of computer editing, to achieve the desired effects.
Visual Clues for this series of work:Most of the visual hints in this series approach the need for change in the young woman’s life. Her journey to the woods is all symbolic of the change of direction in her own thought.
Forest - walking through the forest, signifies a transitional phase. Follow your instincts. Alternatively, it indicates that you want to escape to a simpler way of life. You are feeling weighed down by the demands of your life. To be lost in a forest, signifies that you are searching through your unconscious for a better understanding of yourself.
Woods - To be lost in the woods, indicates that you are starting a new phase in your life. You are expressing some anxiety about leaving behind the familiar and what you know.
White - White projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally were white gowns and a white picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home.
How the color white affects us mentally and physically
* aids mental clarity
* encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles
* evokes purification of thoughts or actions
* enables fresh beginnings
Attempted Death - When "death" appears in a story, it is a very reliable indicator of growing and changing so profoundly that only the "death" of the old "me", (or part if "me"), is an adequate symbol of the psycho-spiritual process that is taking place.
After we discussed the concept and the direction of the day we jumped right into action.
