test shots - black and white - towards final project - studio

black and white studio images  

human form / erotic studio images 

test shots / first shoot 

These images are from my first shoot for my final idea where I will be exploring the human form but all linking this idea to semi erotic imagery. in these shots i wanted to to photographing close up images of selected parts of the body but also slightly wider angle shots to see which i preferred and how i could use these in my final idea. 

i have chosen to do these in a studio with a black back ground because as well as using them as full images , im also going to experiment with using image manipulation for example cutting out and morphing / warping body parts to make an almost abstract image showing the human form in a different way to the human eye sees it . i would like to experiment with this because as well as pushing the idea of the erotic and also natural side of the human body i want to show this in a way that the on looking subject will have to work and focus on select points in a way that they have to piece the body together in there own head. 

my main reason for this idea is because I want to show the the naked and natural human body inst just a tool with an erotic media focus but can also been seen as art and show in more way than a portrait in high key in a new paper or magazine. 

i used 2 studio lights for this but also experimented with one light depending on the shots. whilst doing this i used split lighting / side lighting / one light focused on the front of the model / one light focused on the back of the model / one light on medium with soft box and the other on low with no soft box . 

i found that the lighting set up that worked best was to use a light on high with the soft box to the back of the model and a low light to the side. i also found the using on light to the back or side of the subject worked really well . i liked these because the subject was well lit and showed detail but still gave some shadowing coming in from the black background that almost moulded into the the subject which i really liked and thought blended well. 

i have also picked black and white for these because i want to focus and the shapes , tones and lines of the subject rather than the colour which i see as distracting and would lead away from the main focus of the form of the body . 

when editing these i used camera raw and the images where already converted to black and white in camera. when editing these lowered the shadows and black to give a darker outline around the subject and to also bring the shadow over the body more because i really liked the effect of it almost wrapping its self around the body changing its shape . i also lowered the light on some images as the paler skin parts became brighter than other for example this mostly happened on the stomach as this was a paler area of skin. 

overall i really like how these have turned out epically the lighting and the and the way that it lights up the subject but still produces shadowing around the edges of the image. the thing i think is best about these is how the dark back ground and shadowing link together to make the body shape stand out as the black moulds around , this will be use full for me when trying my next step of cutting out the body to experimenting with my abstract image . when doing these again i will try more close up shots so that i can use these to practice my image manipulation . i will also experiment more with different lighting set ups and positioning my models.