ILA - Independent Learning Agreement

My written ILA described the reason(s) why I chose my subject matter and how I intend to go about shooting it for my project and how I would expand it for the second project. It contains project information, such as aims, learning outcomes and assessment criteria. It also has a planner in which I show what I’m doing each day of the week regarding the project, for example things like blogging, shooting and researching. 

My Synopsis on the ILA.

This module will be focusing on beauty, both natural and cosmetic and will use the studio to refine knowledge and practical skills within the studio and enhance understanding of the technical requirements needed to complete this assignment. It will be an opportunity to expand and explore upon knowledge and skills already gained from previous modules.

For this project I would like to photograph a selection of people based upon the theme of beauty. I will photograph them in the university studio using the lighting and camera equipment available. I would like to use both soft light and harsh lighting to experiment with, using dish, reflectors and material sheet to diffuse the light and boom stands. The soft lighting being kind and flattering on the subject and commonly used within portrait and fashion photography and in comparison the harsh lighting used to create a more dramatic and darker tone image portrait of the person. I have chosen this concept/ idea of beauty because I think that it is relevant to today’s society and has always been a topic of interest, there is most likely always someone with something to say about it. Within today’s society and the younger generations who are growing up with beauty advertisements everywhere, it’s all about looking good, looking your best and although throughout the ages there has always been something on beauty, it has never quite been on this scale. It’s all about appearances and image, how you look, how you dress, latest fashions and trends and newest make–up. Trying to keep up on the latest trend and style is expensive, it’s like technology, there’s always something new coming out that’s better than the last or improved and then, in health and look terms, trying to keep up what you’ve tried to achieve, e.g. keeping wrinkles away, always moistuirising. Most people are self -aware and self - conscious of their own image. I will shoot around 2 or 3 people with make-up/ looking good/ good hair and without/ not looking there best, therefore with an outcome of either 4 or 6 final images. These photos will be presented in an A3 + portfolio box as a series of photographs/ a body of work, they will be in print sleeves and labeled on the reverse with the relevant information such as date, name and type of print. The photos themselves will be most likely 12 x 16 as I have printed this size before and think it would suite the images however I will be looking in to it more and upon researching this further I will decide then. Lastly these images will either be on gloss or matte paper. Alongside their photos I may use text to coincide with the image. I will ask each person for a quote about his or her idea and opinion on the whole notion of beauty. I will use and expand upon this idea further for the Final Major Project.