GUY BOURDIN'S EXPLORATION IN PHOTOGRAPHY
The French artist, Guy Bourdin, was born in 1928 in Paris, France. He is notorious for his sensual and often explicit photography. From 1955 until the late 80s, he primarily worked with Vouge and captured colourful and lively fashion photography which highlighted themes of femininity and beauty through displaying female bodies - and in particular, legs. He also collaborated with high-end brands such as Chanel, Bloomingdale's, and Pentax. Bourdin has gained recognition for his highly fascinating photography varying from black and white to colour, from faces to feet, and minimalism to moments of raw sexuality. Since his death in 1991, his work has been presented and displayed in reputable and honoured museums such as the Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum, MoMA, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris.
Though all of his work is utterly captivating to me, I must say that my favourite has to be the style shown to the right where he photographs legs and women often incorporated with themes of colour and fashion through vivid 1960s clothing and shoes. In this photograph, there are a woman's legs wearing light blue tights and bright orange shoes. There is also another orange shoe slightly above her feet where she is laying on an unknown blue object. I would describe this photograph as ambiguous and vivid and arguably the genre is surrealism mixed with portraiture - a seemingly realitsic scenario but the way that it has been captured makes it feel unreal. Colour feels very important in the photo because he has used contrasting colours, blue and orange, this makes the image feel much more attractive. I also believe that line is important in the way that the edge of everything, especially her legs, are not blurry or blending in with the background evoking a crispness. Bourdin has equally used light very well to convey these elements, the image is rather bright and I assume that he shot in the daytime to create a very natural and organic light source that highlights the shine of her shoes and emphasises the light blue colour of her tights. Space is represented oddly in this photo because it is flat - there isn't any drastic aspect of background, middle ground, or foreground, but rather everything is on one level of distance from the camera. Additionally, the whole image is in focus, the legs are not any sharper than the rest of the image. The whole of the picture has been composed beautifully perhaps to compensate for this lack of depth, there is not much in the image but it is symmetrical and even because of the shoe at the top and large legs in proportion to the frame. I'm not sure what Bourdin used to take these images but if I had to guess, he used natural light or a very soft spotlight and most definitely a film camera as opposed to a digital one because digital cameras did not exist at the time. This creates a subtle grainy texture and a similar look to that of a Polaroid camera.
The part of the image that is most alluring to me is the colour because even though there are really only two colours here, they contrast each other beautifully and are really effective in producing a cohesive and coordinated image. Bourdin has dealt with space and time here unknowingly. Of course, these photos were relevant at the time they were taken but today, the image looks 'old' because of it being taken on a film camera and also the fashion.
This 1960s/70s style is easier to see in some of his other works but it's clear that the fashion nowadays is much different. If Guy Bourdin were here, I would want to ask him the following question - why is femininity important to you and how do you convey this through your photography? By knowing his thought process being his work, I believe that I could use my greater understanding to demonstrate themes of identity and femininity in my work.
I don't know entirely what this photo is about but from my research and thinking about it, I interpret this photograph as being an overtly feminine representation of fashion and beauty to convey the message of being comfortable in your own body and identity. A form of self-confidence. I would guess that Bourdin made this photo as a way of being a role model and example. I think that it's important to be comfortable in your own skin and Bourdin's photos demonstrate that beautifully. This relates to my identity project as I am focusing on ways women and femininity are depicted in photography and how this relates to us as a society and psychologically.
In my opinion, this photo is very effective because Guy Bourdin uses colour and shape to create brilliantly cohesive and ambiguous photos that are crisp and clear.
GUY BOURDIN PHOTOSHOOT - UNEDITED IMAGES
My intention for this photoshoot was to dress up in a 'feminine' way - much like in Bourdin's photos - heels, dresses, makeup. I took these images to portray self-confidence and a sense of assertiveness through being overtly 'feminine'. I say 'feminine' like this because there is no condensed meaning of what it means to be feminine, it can mean a different thing for everybody. What I personally wanted to convey is this notion that sexualising yourself and feeling empowered in your own body is a way of presenting a sense of superiority which is often perceived as 'femininity' in society. To take these images, I went to the Tate modern and posed in front of these large concrete pillars as well as stairs, benches, and walls. I used a tripod to hold my camera and a small clicker to take the photos by myself, from a distance. I aimed to make dynamic poses that showed off the profile of the heels and my legs overall. I also had the flash of the camera on in most photos where it was quite dark. One successful element of this photoshoot in my opinion is the shapes I created within my poses. I feel that I was able to position my legs in front of the camera- these poses effectively accentuated the harsh edges of my shoes and the curves of my legs. I also tried to place one foot in front of the other to create depth and space in the image and I like how this turned out. One unsuccessful aspect of this photoshoot I believe is the background and contrast. Retrospectively, I think the colours in my outfits are bright and vivid but they are muddled by the dull walls which are greys and whites. I think that to make these colours pop and relate to Bourdin's photography more, I should use bright, solid coloured backgrounds - possibly a paper backdrop I could hang up. I also would like to experiment with more props such as couches and beds.
EDITS - EXPERIMENTING WITH COMPOSITION
To edit these photos, I firstly used the selective colour tool to more specific colours more vivid, red and yellow in this case.
Secondly, I brightened the image slightly.
I then lowered the bottom of the curve and increased the top of the curve in very small increments.
At this point, typically the photo needs to be brightened a little more.
Lastly, I added a noise filter to make the image more grainy and look like it may have been taken on a film camera.
To edit these photos, I made the images bright and more contrasted as well as more colourful. To compensate for the blandness of the background, I used a new tool, the selective colour tool and experimented by doing things such as decreasing the opposite of the colour I wanted to pop. For example, if I wanted my red tights to appear redder, I lowered the amount of cyan. I found that this was an effective way to make the colours seem more prominent in a subtle way. I also believe that adding noise was important because I wanted to create the effect of older photos. This does not really have any correlation to my work conceptually but aesthetically I like how it makes the images link more to Guy Bourdin. You could say that the grain symbolises how this aspect of femininity has been going on for many decades - this texture would most likely have been on photos taken many years ago. This style of editing relates to my project because it connects to Guy Bourdin's classic style of editing which varies between photos and era but is generally bright, contrasted, and vivid. One thing that I think is successful about these edits is the colours. I think that this new technique in which I can make specific colours subtly more exaggerated will be very useful in future images. One thing that I think is unsuccessful about these photos is that I don't really feel like the focus point is what it should be. Rather than my legs standing out, it feels like the whole image is sort of one surface level. To fix this, I could try to add a small vignette or possibly create more shadows. Next, I would like to try mirroring and testing the colour lookup feature.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS - EXPERIMENTING WITH MIRRORING
To begin editing these photos I used the crop tool to double the frame of the original image.
Then, I used the rectangular marquee tool to copy the original photo.
I flipped the image horizontally and moved it to the blank space I created previously.
I then picked a filter for the image; the one shown here is called, '2Strip.look'
One thing that I like about this editing technique is that it allows me to experiment with colour. I like how the filters change the original colours to create a whole new aesthetic and look. While some mute the colours, others make them more vibrant and I find that interesting. I believe that this improves the images because it adds an element to them which is chic and very much resonates with Guy Bourdin's timeless style of fashion and beauty. I also mirrored the images to add to this effect. This relates to my project because I am looking at different aspects of femininity where fashion and beauty are typically prominent. One thing that I would change about these edits is to experiment with using more than one filter. In the future, I could try to use the rectangular marquee tool to draw shapes in the image and put a different filter in only that spot, or I could put one filter on one half, and a different one on the other.
REDRAFT
Inspiration photo for editing
UNEDITED IMAGES - CONTACT SHEET
My intention for this photoshoot was to do a better Guy Bourdin inspired photoshoot by using solid coloured backgrunds and I also used a softbox light . Before taking these images, I went to a fabric store and bought fabrics that matched my tight. I then clipped them onto two points in my house long enough to cover my bottom half and the floor. Next, I set up a lightbox which I pointed at me, close to the floor, I used the bluetooth clicker again to take the photos. To pose, I did a lot of the same poses that I did in the last photoshoot and generally just tried to maintain the same feminine tone throughout. I did this because I wanted to improve off of my last photoshoot where to setting was taking away from my legs. By using better lighting and a solid coloured background, there is more depth and value to the image. Also, the image looks more visually appealing as a whole because of the colours matching. This adds a sense of minimalism and clarity whilst still keeping that element of fashion and feminity. One thing that I would change about this photoshoot is that I only used two colours. I feel that by using a larger variety of colours and even mixing up colours as well, I would create more exciting and diverse images. If I were to take these images again, I would use lots of different coloured backgrounds and tights too. I could pair the same colours or mix and match. I believe I have enough images for this project.
EDITS - REFINING LIGHTING, COMPOSITION AND CONTRAST
Firstly, I cropped the image to get rid of any excess space and to cut out the areas where the wall is showing.
To create a similar effect of my inspiration photo, I moved the point at the bottom left hand corner upwards to lower the black point. I then made a point to the right of it and moved it down to increase the contrast and then I made a point at the top of the curve and moved it up slightly to make the image brighter.
After altering the curve, I lowered the brightness and increased the contrast a little.
I then used the elliptical marquee tool to draw a circle around the center of the image to create a spotlight effect.
I added a gaussian blur to the spotlight to make it seem more natural and then added noise the the whole image.
I chose to edit my photos this way because I wanted to create simplistic images with depth and contrast. I took inspiration from this one photo of Guy Bourdin because it demonstrates beautifully, a balance between subtly and dramatic effects. The image reminds me of a polaroid image where the darkest points are not dark however, there is contrast and strong highlights. One aspect that I like about these edits is the contrast because it brings out the details especially in my shoes which gives the viewer a more compelling image. One element that I believe could be improved is the spotlight effect. I think that the concept is a good idea but I feel that I did not execute it well. This could be improved by blurring the edges more to make it look more natural and making the 'spotlight' brighter and more contrasted. Next, I would like to make series out of these images to explore composition.
HIGHLIGHTING SUCCESS
This image is successful because I feel that I have shown a good understanding of value, light, and space. Firstly, the shadows of the image are not too dark but they still make the image feel like it has depth because the darkest points emphasise details on the shoes and the distance between myself and the backdrop. The highlights make my shoes appear shinier and sculpts the folds in the fabric. There is a range from dark tones to light tones which gives a 3-dimensional illusion.
DEVELOPMENTS - SERIES
What I've done here is created series of my edits. I did this because I wanted to experiment with the arrangement and composition of the images. I did this by picking two images that I thought would work well together. I took one of these images and I used the crop tool to double the width of the frame. I then used the rectangular marquee tool to draw over the entirety of the other image and copy it. I pasted it onto the blank space of the previous image and fit the frame to size. I chose to create series because I wanted to depict how the pictures complement each other and carry a cohesive aesthetic. This fits in with my project because the series reflect Guy Bourdin's work which revolves around creating quirky and dynamic imagery to imply femininity and modern beauty. One thing that I like about these developments is that they don't look busy because I have intentionally paired images that are alike. For example, I paired images of the similar colour, size, and lighting to ensure they string together nicely. One thing that I do not like about these images is that they are a little bland - I usually think that "less is more" but I would like to experiment with the idea of making these images more exciting and compare to these more simplistic images. Next, I plan to develop these images further by playing with the formal elements such as colour and texture.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS - EXPERIMENTING WITH GIFS
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Here, I have created GIFs out of my edits from my recent photoshoot because I wanted to experiment with this form of photography and motion. I did this by compiling my edits and putting them into a website called 'gifmaker.me' which strings together the images to create a stop-motion-like effect. These GIFs have been thought out carefully because I wanted the images to play in specific orders. For example, in the one on the bottom right, I put the images in a certain order that makes them appear as if I am making a movement and bouncing between positions. I like how these GIFs turned out and I think it adds an effective playful atmosphere and tone to the images which contribute nicely to the aesthetic of Guy Bourdin's work. If I could change one thing, I would have made sure that all the images are the same size so that there is more consistency.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
INSPIRATION
I have been inspired by this photo by Guy Bourdin to even further develop my images. I chose this photo because I like how surreal it looks and how beautifully Bourdin has used the space to create an ambiguous atmosphere that is aesthetically pleasing. I will use this photo to influence me by cutting out images of my legs and putting them on top of images that I will find online.
ORIGINAL IMAGES
EDITED IMAGES
What I did to take these images is I printed the edited pictures from my redraft photoshoot and cut them out. I decided to use these ones instead of the glitched images because I felt that the glitched images would have made the image overwhelming and crowded. It would also be hard to cut them out. If they were more subtly glitched then maybe it would work but I like how the simply edited pictures create clarity that will complement the background and also relate to Guy Bourdin's style. The backgrounds here are images that I have found on Google Images and on Pinterest. I wanted to pick a variety of backgrounds ranging from scenic to dystopian. I think that this is successful because by having diverse settings, the notion of implementing yourself in the world and feeling confident is further emphasised. Another meaning here could be feeling out of place and even lost. Wandering without a sense of direction. I think it's important to find a happy middle where you feel empowered but also humble, whilst loving who you are. Another aspect that I like about these images is the editing. The way that I have edited these images is very simple, all I did was lower the curve and this creates an increase in contrast. I think that this helps the legs to look more 3-dimensional and accentuated. I also believe that this helps make the image look more cohesive as the legs glued to the backgrounds are from a different photoshoot and lighting. One thing that I would change about these images is I would have liked to have taken one pair of legs and put it on many different backgrounds to demonstrate a sense of motion and moving through time and your own inner self. Moving forwards, I would like to have this same concept but taking my own images instead of using images off of the internet.
HIGHLIGHTING SUCCESS
This image is successful because it conveys colour, depth, and space well. Colour works well here because the blue tones near my shoes and ankles match the horizon, and the pink tones on my legs match the colour in the sky. This makes this image more appealing and cohesive as there is connection throughout it. Depth and space is used nicely because my legs are positioned at the top of this hill where the perspective shows it getting smaller as it gets further away. My legs are mostly proportionally accurate to what they would if I were to be standing at the top of this hill. However, they are glued on, so there is a small shadow underneath which makes them look 3-dimensional. Due to the legs looking stuck on but also matching they image, a more visually compelling image is created as a balance is found.
REDRAFT
To take these photos, I went around London to find small and hidden streets with no people on them. I shot some portrait orientation and some landscape to provide a variety. I also tried to find interesting locations. For example, on one street I found a large statue of an angel on a building, I also really liked this green tunnel with lights in it. I am going to edit these photos and then put the cut outs of my legs on them and photograph it. These are the photos that I'm going to collage my legs onto.
EDITED IMAGES
To edit these photos, I edited them in Photoshop using almost the same techniques for my previous images. Instead of just lowering the curve, I also increased the brightness because when I took pictures of these, the room was too dark and therefore I needed to fix this in editing so that you can see the image properly. It must be noted that I have also edited the street pictures separately before printing them out: I cropped them to be level, I increased the contrast and brightness, and I added noise to give them a vintage effect. One thing that I really like about these images is the composition. I like how my legs have been placed on the street which makes the scene look atmospheric and unusual. Also the fact that the legs, streets, and images as a whole have been edited in a similar way makes it look more blended and cohesive. If I could change one thing about these images, it would be the proportion of the legs. Preferably, I would like them to be smaller to look more realistic.
Firstly, I printed out the images in colour and cut out my legs to glue onto the images for a collage effect.
After photographing them, I edited these photos by lowering the curve to create contrast.
I then increased the brightness because the images were too dark.
Lastly, I cropped the image if necessary, there was a sliver of paper showing at the bottom of this image.
HIGHLIGHTING SUCCESS
I think that this image is my most successful because of the composition and use of space. When creating this image, I thought carefully about where to put the legs. I like how you can see the empty road and the legs are stepping into it. This adds to the composition because the street provides depth in the image and the legs being at the the front give a nice perspective - foreground and background with the buildings in the middle ground. I also like how the legs match the lighting and tone of the street image which adds to the atmosphere and cohesiveness of the image.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT - GIF
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For a further development, I have created a GIF out of the street pictures. I have created this GIF with a website called gifmaker.me. I uploaded all of the images and it puts them together to make a GIF. I have set the animation speed to 250 milliseconds. I like the speed of this GIF. I think it showcases the images nicely and I like this style of photography. One thing that I do not like about this image is that because all the images are different sizes, the frame of the GIF moves around a lot. I think this is a little disorienting and distracts from the images but overall I like this GIF.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT - STOP MOTION
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For these further developments, I have cut out my edits and printed out my previous backgrounds and placed the images of the legs in positions so that it looks like they are walking. This is much like some of Guy Bourdin's other work where he places floating legs in landscapes to look like they are walking. I like how this turned out because I think that it adds a further element of playfulness to the work and creates an interesting visual element. If I could change anything about this, I would like to experiment more with possible reversing it.