Broly ('Dragonball Z') Research and Final Piece Planning

The auras used in 'Dragonball Z' have always struck me as fantastical. In particular, the character, Broly, has some really elegant and majestic poses, which I think would work well in a 'Fantasy' photo-shoot.

For my final piece, I want to create a fantastical image which utilises inspiration from photographer I have researched, yet allows me to incorporate aspects of photography I enjoy the most. For me, "light drawings" are very fun and creative, as are photo-montages. Therefore, I am considering combining a Broly-like pose with the smoky effect of Stokkete, and the shrouded effect of Dmitrijs Bindemanis. Overall, I intend for it to look vaguely similar to Nejron Photo's work, but containing elements of my other artistic influences, and my own personal tastes.

Miniatures Research

I am very interested in visual effects for film, and the history of them. When re-watching 'Star Wars' recently, I was admiring the use of miniatures for the starships, et cetera, in the original trilogy. This made me realise that I can use miniatures in still photography to create fantastical characters I would not otherwise be able to make.

Above is an image I found on Google Images whilst searching for still photography of miniatures. I found this one to be quite interesting as it uses the small size of the figures to make the strawberries look very large, whilst making the whole image look natural and "realistic".

For my use of miniatures, I am planning to capture images of figures, then "cut" those figures from their backgrounds and combine them with other images to create fantastical scenes, the likes of which people would expect to see in 'The Lord of the Rings'.

'Sci-Fi Fantasy' Image Analysis 2

Similarly to the previously analysed image with planets in it, this one most likely achieved its effect in Photoshop. However, differing from the previous one, this image is rather dark and features a silhouette of a tree as the focal point. In the background, a blue planet can be seen -- this can be achieved by either taking a photograph of a globe/planet-looking object, or creating it in Photoshop, then using the 'quick select' tool to cut out the focal point and "layering" it on top of the planet's 'layer'.

The clouds that are in this image could have been added in Photoshop. If this is the case, the photographer merged multiple images to make one fantastical one, much like what I am experimenting with.

'Sci-Fi Fantasy' Image Analysis

Embracing the 'Sci-Fi Fantasy' genre, this image shows an effective use of saturation and contrast to make the planets in the sky, which are the fanastical elements, "stand out".

This image, which I found on Shutterstock.com, has given me an idea. I now want to create an image in which I will try to create the illusion that the shot was not taken on Earth. To do this, I will use my globe, and I will take a photograph from atop a nearby hill.

Artist Research - Stokkete

In this image, we see a man with a bow, aiming an arrow at something with trees and smoke surrounding him. The man is wearing a gas mask, and modern clothing, thus implying that this is not in the past, but in the present, or perhaps even in the future. I found this set of images whilst searching for 'Post-Apocalyptic' themed photographs on the Internet, so it could be that the man is fighting for survival in a dystopian world and is aiming at his prey or an enemy. The things I really like about this image are the colour filters that will most likely have been added in Photoshop, and the smoke, which will also most likely have been added in Photoshop. These two factors make the image very atmospheric; the smoke implies "destruction", "decay", and "ruin", whilst the orange and turquoise colours imply "fire", and "emptiness". Together they create a 'Post-Apocalyptic' atmosphere.

Similarly, this image uses smoke and 'colour correction' to create the atmosphere. With this image, however, one does not get such a sense of hostility when looking at it as he/she does with the first image. The reasons for this are that the camera angle is different and is now not a mid-shot from in-front of the model, but it is now a full-body-shot from the side of the model. Due to the shot being taken from the side, we cannot see the model's face/mask as clearly, nor is he/she aiming his/her bow near to the camera. We feel less threatened when looking at this image because the model is aiming upwards and away from us (the camera), whereas in the first one he/she is aiming very close to the camera as well as the view being closer to him/her, thus making the first image more intense. This is much like the work of Dmitrijs Bindemanis, wherein he completely changes the way his images are interpreted by slightly changing one or two small things, such as lighting, whilst keeping the shot practically the same.

In drastic contrast, we feel as though the model is now the one at risk in this image, as opposed to being the all powerful hunter(ess). The 'colour correction' is quite different in this image as it is a mix of yellow/orange and green. The model also isn't in the smoke, but he is instead surrounded by it. The framing of the image puts the model to the left side of the image, instead of being central like in the others, thus furthermore implying that he is now vulnerable. On top of that, the model's posture is different; he/she is no longer standing up-right, but is hunched forward slightly, which suggests that he/she is being cautious and might be somewhat fearful.

Nejron Photo - Artist Research

The moment I saw this image, I was inspired. In terms of colour, the blue haze given off by the light in the upper-left and the bottom of the image contrasts somewhat subtly with the beige/brown of the dust to the right. The decreased saturation of the image makes it all blend really well, thus making it easy to look at. I really like the framing of this particular image. The dust is being blown to the right, as are all of the particles. With the image being framed so that the model is to the left, more emphasis is put on the movement of the dust and particles away from him, perhaps implying that his soul/essence is leaving him, or that he is being reborn with the layers that are his current life being blown away. I am assuming that this image was created by merging several different images together, as opposed to creating all of the effects at once.

This appears to be the same image as the first, but un-cropped. I am choosing to analyse it still, due to the effects seen in the one that can't be seen in the cropped version. On the model's torso, there is a stoke of light following the path of the main "crack" going up his/her body. This effect looks as though it might have been achieved with the use of light drawing. If I were to try doing something like this, I would use a long exposure setting on my camera whilst I, or a friend, moved a light in a line in-front of the camera, with a black background. After that, I would import the image to Adobe Photoshop and change the 'layer' type to 'screen'. Then, I would add that 'layer' on the top of whatever image I want to add the effect to.

This, from the same collection of photographs by Nejron, is a different shot to the others. Here, we see the model with his/her hand on his/her head as though moving across it. It could be interpreted as the person embracing what is happening to them, which could suggest that they are being reborn. With the edges being faded to black, the light sources could be metaphorical for "a light in the darkness", as though to furthermore suggest that he is leaving his old, possibly bad, life behind and is being reborn.

Dmitrijs Bindemanis - Artist Research

This is an image that I found whilst searching for 'Fantasy' photography on ShutterStock.com. This photograph of an 'assassin' was captured in low-key lighting settings in a studio environment by the look of the precise lighting which frames the head and the blank background. The subject is grasping a large sword by the hilt, holding the blade to the ground, and his/her face is shrouded in darkness due to the lighting and the hood. We can, however, see the spiky bottom of the sword's hilt, which is rather menacing. Dressed in all black, and surrounded by shadows created by the low-key lighting, this image portrays a dark assassin and a menacing atmosphere. The essence of this image is in the lighting, props, costume, and framing.







This is interesting as the pose, costume, and props in this image are practically the same as the first image's. Essentially, the two images are the same, however, simply by changing the lighting for this one, and zooming out a little bit, Bindemanis was able to create a completely different look and atmosphere. The lighting this time is clear, and angled to hit the subject's right-hand side. With the camera also being zoomed out more in this image, more of the sword has been revealed, and the light in this one now hits the side of it, making it more visible and therefore slightly less threatening. The same goes for the model's face. With a stronger light and a different angle, the model's face is now visible, and we can see a smirk on his/her face. Being able to see more of the subject makes it less threatening. The other main difference is the background, which now has smoke in it and is no longer blank. The smoke, possible added in Photoshop, creates an air of mystery, but also brightens the image even more.

As for this image, Bindemanis has created a rather morbid feeling. The low-angle shot of the model who is holding a sword to the ground gives the impression that he/she has just stabbed the viewer, and is glaring at his/her next victim/target. The black armour and spiky sword make the model look dark and menacing, and the facial expression only adds to this. Although we can see the model and the sword clearly in this image, it is still menacing due to the expression on the model's face, and the low-angle shot combined with the model's pose. The image is framed well for this, too, as the model's head is to the right-side of the image, and he/she is looking to the left-side -- the "looking room" helps build the implication that he/she is glaring at another person.

Sci-Fi Fantasy Inspiration

This image, by Rankin and First and from their book titled 'Myths, Monsters and Legends', has inspired me. When I looked at this, I, at first, thought of the crystal skulls (Ancient Astronaut Theory), but then saw something else. The shiny look of the skulls in this image reminded me of 'The Terminator', which inspired me to use a half-metal/half-bone (not actual bone) skull I have. I think that a fiery setting would look good, but at the same time, I want to make it more fantastical by creating the look of a post-apocalyptic battle ground. Maybe for the latter I could experiment with miniatures.








For the fiery setting, I am thinking of something like this. A close-up of the skull with fire surrounding it.







The half-metal skull I have looked a little bit like this one.

Perhaps the inclusion of time travel implications would make the image somewhat more fantastic. I will definitely pursue this idea, though.

What Does 'Fantasy' Mean?

'Fantasy', as I have previously mentioned, can be interpreted in many different ways.

'Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting... Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific and macabre themes' - Wikipedia

This is what I meant when I said that 'the genre itself can be interpreted in many different ways'. Whilst 'Medieval Fantasy' might be the way most people see the 'Fantasy' genre, and probably often view 'Sci-Fi Fantasy' as regular 'Sci-Fi', it is a version of 'Fantasy'.

With this in-mind, I have a lot of freedom within this genre to explore many different kinds of sets and imagery.

Legend Photography

Whilst researching 'Fantasy' photography, the first examples I came across were those of Legend Photography's work.

Legend Photography is a photography studio that does a lot of 'Fantasy' photography... photography. The work they have up for examples on their website demonstrates their forte of portrait photography, which is a style that I am considering experimenting with.

This image's focal point is in the centre of the Rule of Thirds grid, with the head of the model aligning with the upper horizontal line. This is conventional framing for portrait photographs as it draws all focus to the subject. The lighting is quite dark and low-key, creating a faded look around the edges -- this, again, draws attention to the model, which is important in portrait photography. The faded effect, and the darkness of this image also builds an atmosphere of mystery, linking with the 'Fantasy' theme. Combining with this, the Moon in the background, which will have been added digitally in software such as Photoshop, provides a gentle glow. To make the model look more fantastical, a mermaid costume has been used.

Portrait Photography (Fantasy)

One of the styles I could, and probably will, experiment with is that of the portrait. In a 'Fantasy' genre, many things can be done, and the genre itself can be interpreted in many different ways. One of the most common interpretations of this genre is 'Medieval Fantasy', consisting of things such as knights in armor, fairies, mermaids, dragons, angels, et cetera. Of course, these things can be seen in other interpretations of the genre, but they are conventional aspects of 'Medieval Fantasy'.

A good way to "show off" these characters is to isolate them and focus on their image, separated from the rest of their fantasy world. Portraits are an effective and well--suited way of accomplishing this.

Here are some professional examples I found whilst researching photography of this genre: