Researchlog

Research Log

Photographer Website CommentIain Crawford http://

iaincrawford.com/Crawford is a photographer grew up in Africa and Malaysia. His career has lead him to work for some of the world’s top brands in beauty and cosmetics. He is renounced for “strong graphic and textural quality, often searching out the graphical symmetry in chaos”. I particularly like this shot that Crawford took as part of a collection of different shoots that his conducted like this. I like the chaos in the photo and how the makeup is seen ‘splattered’ everywhere on the, yet it’s toned down with sterile background. This in turn has also allowed the makeup to stand out more. I like the way the model has not been lost in the photo either as her eyes, though not making contact with the camera, can still be seen in the shot in amongst everything else.

Ruth Rose http://www.ruthrose.co.uk/

Ruth Rose is an international fashion, lingerie and beauty photographer from London. Her work is very varied - this is one of many shots that I liked. I like the ‘messy’ element that this shot has as well as the contrast in colour with the lipstick and eyeshadow – this has accentuated them and made them stand out in the dark colours of the photo. The water in the photo also makes it more interesting as it reflects the light and adds elements of texture. There is a lot of different textures present in this photo e.g. the hair, the matte lipstick and the water – I like the element of contrast that this has brought to the photo.

Alexander Khokhlov http://alexanderkhokhlov.com/

Alexander Khokhlov is a Russian photography whose work I admire at lot – namely his ‘weird beauty’ series. He is a fashion and beauty photography, and this is a shot from the ‘weird beauty’ series. This is a series of work I like for a number of reasons. Everything is black and white and this is something that I find very striking about the photos and adds a high level of contrast in terms of colour too. I particularly like the pattern used here with the makeup as it has added weird angels on the models face, and also has highlighted the eyes, giving more of a focal point, with the way in which the makeup draws out from them. The emotion has still been brought out in the models eyes and has not been lost in the makeup - this is something that I will continuously want to achieve in my own work.

Claire Harrison http://www.claireharrisonphotography.com/wordpress/

Claire Harrison is an international photographer based in London working with some of the most prestige clients today. I really like this photo that is part of one her beauty portfolios. I love the cool and unique vibe that the photo has – all of Harrisons work has a contemporary feel about that I would like to bring across in my own work. Two photos here have been transposed together and this has worked really effectively. The model in the head on shot is making eye contact with the camera and therefore the focal point in the image has not been lost, yet there is so much more emotion present in the photo where the model is seen looking off in the distance in the other shot. I really like how the rest of the photo is sterile and how the vibrant lip colour stands out in amongst everything else in the photo.

Kutlu Photography http://www.kutlu.com/

Kutlu is a Turkish photographer that is known for his striking beauty shots. He now divides his time between Paris and New York and has worked with an array of famous clients. This i one shot from his work that particularly caught my attention. I like the controversial message and the angle that he has taken with his work here and the way he has used makeup as something bad and ‘ugly’ by using the match as the eyeliner. I love simplicity of the shot as this has allowed the focus to remain on the message in the shot. The models eye here are not making contact with the camera here but the communication in the shot is still here as it is so strong. There isn’t a lot of colour used in the shot, and instead Kutlu has used similar colours of different textures to accentuate and highlight certain parts of the shot e.g. the nails.

Amber Grey http://www.ambergray.net/

“The characters portrayed in Amber Gray’s work inhabit a world more colourful, dramatic, and whimsical than our own.” Gray’s work is something that really caught my eye as she such a unique style and approach in her work. Known for working with strong, beautiful women Gray’s work really brings out fun and personality. In this particular shot I loved the expression of the models and how they have remained so present in the photo without any eye contact with the camera. The colours used on the makeup have really made a statement and I like how the lightening used has accented this. The lightening has also made the angles on the faces really strong and sharp - I love the definition this has created.

Anathema Photography (Danielle L. K) http://anathemaphotography.com/

Danielle L. K (known as ‘Anathema’) is well known horror photographer from Canada – I am a huge fan of her work. Though typically the focus her work is something surreal brought across with a controversial message, her work uses a lot of makeup in different ways to help her create the characters that she does. I love the precision and perfection the characters in her work have in terms of aesthetics. Her work has inspired me to do more with horror and SFX makeup. I really liked this shot for numerous reasons. I like sterile background and lightening used – the shadow cast is something that I wouldn’t normally like but I think it works here. I also like the unusual pose of the model and the presences she has in the photo without looking at the camera.

Yulia Gorbachenko http://www.yuliagorbachenko.com/

Yulia Gorbachenko is a photographer based in New York. This shot is one that particularly caught my attention due to the vibrant colour. The model has been painted to look like part of the background but the clash in texture has allowed her to remain present in the photo and the expression on her face has created emotion. The colour in the shot really is the focal point though. I like the way embellishments have been added on the face as well. The angle at which the photo is taken is else that I really like; I feel it really compliments the models features.

Michael David Adams http://michaeldavidadams.com/

Adams is a fashion and beauty photographer from New York city. His work has a very unique style as he likes to work with different elements, such as water, seen here is this photo. I love the high-fashion edge his work has as well as the editorial vibe. I like the water in this shot as it really compliments the beauty element in the shot. I think it’s really effective how the light has reflected on it and the texture it has created. I like the way the model is half submerged in the water here and the angle at which the photo is taken. The clash in colour in the shot is something interesting too. Because everything in the shot is predominately blue, the red on the eyes and lips has made them stand out, also creating a focal point.

Jayesh Pankhania http://www.jayeshpankhania.com/main/

This is a shot I found that immediately caught my attention. Jayesh Pankhania’s work is something very different. A lot of his work is commercial for various different beauty brands. This one shot that really stood out for me is because of the focus that has been drawn to one feature on the face as oppose to the whole face that is seen in so many beauty shots today. I love how the lips have been ‘erased’ out with the background and they can only be seen where the pink paint has been put on the lips or where the teeth are. I liked the detail that has been captured in this photo.

Viktoria Stutz http://www.viktoriastutz.com/

Viktoria Stutz is a beauty, cosmetic and hair photographer based in Germany. Her work is very contemporary and in some parts, like this shot I found, unusual. A lot of Stutz work is profile based and also uses a lot of close ups to really show up the makeup. I found this photo really interesting from her ‘universe’ series of work. I like the shape used and the angles. The model isn’t making eye contact with the camera but this works as all the focus is brought to the mouth area where the makeup is.

Jamie Nelson http://www.jamienelson.com/

Nelson is New York based fashion and beauty photographer. I am really interested in his work as it is contemporary and fresh, and at times controversial. I really liked this shot due to the vibrant colour that has been captured and the way all the colours contrast yet compliment each other to stand out more. The eyes are not making contact with the camera here, but due to the expression of the model the focal point is not lost. I love the angle at which the photo has been taken as Is has accentuated the angles of the subject’s face, something that I like to do in my own work. The shirt is something else that has caught my attention in this shot too as it the light hitting it has really made the emphasised the texture. This according contrasts with other textures on the photo such as the skin and lipstick.

Jenny Brough http://www.jennybrough.co.uk/

Jenny Brough is a photographer based in London. All of her work is very clean and sophisticated, like the example I have found. She does a lot commercial and advertising work for top brands and magazines. I really love the simplicity of this shot that I found and the way everything in the photo such as the background has been kept sterile. The photo is free from lots of contrasting colours and instead harmonious colours have been used through out. The texture and look of the models skin is flawless – this is something important when shooting advertising/ commercial makeup photography. Something that really caught my attention though is the doll like expression of the model and how she is holding herself up. I think it’s very trance like to at and the eyes are very captivating because of this. The hair in the photo is the only messy element about it and this balances nicely with everything else in the photo being so neat and precise.

Sebastian Paszek http://www.sebastianpaszek.com/

Sebastian Paszek is a Polish photographer that specialises in advertising photography for fashion and beauty. His work caught my attention initially as he likes to play with light and shadows in his work, this adds a lot of diverse an intense elements, just like in the example I have found. The model here is behind all the light and shadows, yet is has been used in way so that she doesn’t get lost. There are added light spots that have also been used and other effects – this has inspired me to look at what I can do with Photoshop effects.

Stephen Eastwood http://stepheneastwood.com/

Eastwood is another photographer based in New York. He focuses on mainly portrait work within contemporary beauty photography. I love this photo that I found from his work. The expression of the model here is very intense and captures the eye immediately, even with her lack of eye contact with the camera. The way she has used her hands here too is something that has helped to accentuate the angles on her face and created sharper lines within the photo. Texture is the other very predominate element in this photo with the blue metallic skin and the feathers in the hair – contrast has been created. This photo is very inspiring to look photographing contemporary cosmetic-art looks.

Oleg Dou

http://olegdou.com/ Oleg Dou is a very intriguing photographer whose work really caught my attention. I love his unique style and interesting compositions. This photo that I was particularly attracted too I find quite haunting and creepy. I believe this photo is from a series where Dou looked at working with mannequins as well as working with children, and combining the two together he created photographs like this. I found this photo very inspiring on looking at using different cosmetic manipulation on programmes such as Photoshop, as this is something that I haven’t considered doing yet in my own personal project.

Eva Mueller http://www.evamueller.com/ Mueller is a Bavarian photographer that specialises in fashion, beauty and music - her work also consists of a lot of fine art. Given this, all her work is very refined and ‘perfect’. As you can see in this photo here, beauty has been captured with a stereotypical idea of beauty. I like the contrast you can see here on the skin. Something that really caught my attention with this image though is the use of the lightening. I like how half the face has been shadowed and half is highlighted – this has really accentuated the angles on the face and accentuated the facial features. The eyes are really captivating in this photo too. This has been accentuated with the light as well as the use of the makeup. I really enjoy looking at Mueller’s work.

Robert Emmertt http://www.robertemmett.co.uk/ Robert Emmertt describes his photos as being “an interesting moment in time, a possible piece of art...” His work certainly is interesting – this one photo in particular really caught my interest. I love how the subject has been made to fade away with the background. I think this has made the photo an item of beauty photography that really stands out. I love the use of lightening here

Rankin http://rankin.co.uk/home/ This is a photographer from the UK that I came across and absolutely love! This photo in particular is something that really caught my attention as it is so unique and has such a haunting feel about it that draws you in. The lighting in the shot has allowed for texture contras to be seen more clearly against the matte black painted skin and the fresh shiny paint pour over it. This is an important element for this photo as everything in it is black; hence texture has been used to differentiate between the different features. I think this is a very contemporary piece of work that is something I would like to try out myself. There is no eye contact made with the camera but the way the makeup ad cropping/framing of the photo has been done, the eye is still drawn to the subject.

Yulia Gorbachenko http://www.yuliagorbachenko.com/ This is a photographer based in New York who specialises in beauty and fashion. I absolutely love her work! This particular photo caught my attention due to the unique lighting of the shot and how this has created beautiful lines and angles on the models face, accentuating her features. I like the natural elements of the shot with the skin being kept quiet clean and the eyes nice and bright, and how this contrasts with the dark matte lips. The expression of the model is mysterious and this meant that that the photo has a interesting and enticing feel about it – this has been highlighted with the connection the model has with the camera and how her eyes have become the focal point within the photo.