Work Diary - Mapplethorpe (Studio Shoot)

After watching the Mapplethorpe video, I had an idea of what I wanted to achieve. However, this was harder than I thought. Also, the time we had in the studio was limited so I didn't get as much as I would have liked done. I found that facial expressions were a big deal in this particular shoot as they made sure the picture look like Mapplethorpe's work. I had to make sure a bond would be created between my subjects and the viewers because Mapplethorpe's work does exactly that. To do this, I knew I had to capture my subjects in an intimate state. Facial expressions were a great way to do this. It allowed me to choose what feelings my pictures each gave out and how it would create a connection with the viewer.

I quite like this picture because it's very Mapplethorpe like. I like the facial expression because it adds a very promiscuous feeling to the picture, once again, adding to the whole Mapplethorpe theme. It also creates a bond with the viewer through the theme of intimacy that is being portrayed. I used soft lighting for this photograph so that form is also shown as he can see shadows on his jawline and how his jacket blends in with the background. I think the slight red colour in his cheeks further adds to this idea of Mapplethorpe's work; it makes my subject look delicate and graceful. The black background helps to show off his cheeks as the black contrasts massively with the pink. His lips are also a light shade of pink, complimenting his cheeks. The fact that his hair fades into the background and cannot be seen forces the viewer to focus on the face of the main subject, allowing them to create that relationship.

On the other hand, this picture didn't work out very well. The cat ears were cut out and I think a better facial expression could have been used; for example, a more aggressive one as that would have added to the Mapplethorpe theme. I should have made sure that everything was included in the frame. However, Robert Mapplethorpe doesn't use any props in his pictures so this diverted away from the topic we are studying.

If we did this again, I would focus way more on the lighting and on the position of the my subject. I would also like to use two main subjects to show some type of relationship between them. Props will also be a good way to highlight my main subjects.

I could show a intimate relationship between my subjects and use props to bring out a Mapplethorpe theme.