Connecting Essay 3

My Photo Barry Lategan

This is a very famous photo taken by Barry Lategan of Twiggy, a model whose career prime was in the 1960s. The makeup seen in the shot is very iconic of the time period and considered high fashion and on trend in England at the time. The eyes are very accentuated with this makeup and this adds to them being the focal point in the photo. The facial expression of the model is very doll-like and ‘perfect’, with the photo being taken central so that all the lines and angles on the face are symmetrical. The photo has been taken in black and white, something that was popular in the 60s with the arrival monochrome fashion. I also think that the black and white photo has created more expression and feeling in the photo – it makes it look more raw and natural. The lightning has been used to light the face and make the accentuate it’s features – it’s simple yet effective. I think this entire photo is very simple, but this has worked in its favour and in turn made the subject stand out more - for example, the sterile background that has been used (this also contrasts nicely yet still subtly with the jumper that the model is wearing).

My photo was inspired by the sixties in terms of the makeup look and effect I wanted to create on the photo. I like how I have been able to edit the photo to get a really nice effect that contrasts with the dark and light – this has accentuated my subject’s features and the angles on her face. This has also added a modern twist and made the photo very striking to look at. The angle of the camera is slightly looking down at the subject and this has made her eyes look larger and more enticing to look at, highlighting the focal point in the shot. The pose with the hand is very iconic of something you might see in a sixties fashion magazine and reflects the time period well. The tight cropping of the

photo has meant there is absence of any other distractions that may have been in the shot.

There are many connections and similarities with my photo and Lategan’s, one being the obviously capturing of the time period. They both reflect the sixties, Lategan’s actually being from the sixties and mine being inspired – this is sue to the iconic makeup that has been used. The expressions of the models are similar and that has helped them to accentuate the eyes and make them look bigger and more doll- like. This was important due to the long lashes and colours used in the makeup. The lighting in the shots has been used similarly too, lighting the models faces directly, highlighting the angles and features (my photo is more accented here due to the editing that I did). The photos are both not in colour, Lategan’s in complete black and white and mine having the saturation down – this has added more emotion in the shots and made them more raw and natural. Both of the photos are cropped fairly tightly and the composition is simple, making the subjects the focal point and the photo itself free from any other visual distractions. I think both of the photos are very reminiscing of the sixties and this is the effect the photographers wanted to create.