27.

Final photographs, research and casting, shooting schedule – week 1

I have now got 4 weeks unit I want to have this project totally finished by, so I have allocated myself the next 3 weeks to finish off my last few research shoots and get all my location shoots done. That way I will still have a week left the write up and touch up my final images. I need to be as organised as possible as I will need to book models, make up artists and crew for each up coming shoot. This will also allow me to keep track of budget as my budget got a bit out of hand with my research images and I found it hard to keep track of my spending. I am budgeting £200 for the rest of my research shoots and final location images.

Final studio research shoot – “We just didn’t connect”
Date: 21/4/09
Time: 1pm onwards
Location: the studio

Model: Emma

I got in contact with Emma through my photography Myspace, as the shoot is an underwear shoot I wanted someone who had experience with this type of modelling and was confident in front of camera. From looking at Emma’s portfolio and talking to her I could see that see had both of the qualities I was looking for as well as having a strong look and presence that I think shows through in her portfolio. She has also just landed a job as an MTV presenter and as she is working for free I have agreed to do her some location and studio shots for her portfolio as well. This is a good opportunity for me as she will hopefully use the images as visual adverts in the industry and it will also give me a change to have some practice on location.

I had originally wanted to have 3 female models for this idea, I advertised on Model mayhem and had a number of responses from models. But most wanted paying to do something like this and most couldn’t be specific enough if they would be free on the dates I had in mind. I made the decision to only use one model in the end as I want to devote as much of the budget to my final images and not my research ones. I am also working to such a tite schedule that I think my time would be more effectively spent sorting out, booking and arranging my final image shoots.

Model Costs: Time – Free – agreed to take further Photos for her portfolio.  Travel/expenses – £20

Props: plug – 39p
Wire – 25p
Socket – £2.99

Final Image Location Shoot – homeless student in under pass

Date: 23/4/09
Location: Coventry city centre underpasses
Time – makeup from 1pm, Shoot starts at 2pm onwards

Model: Sasha Bazhenova

I originally had another model in mind for this shoot but I met Sasha when she was shooting with another photographer I know. I loved her look and thought she would be perfect for this shoot as she has quite an innocent, youthful, fresh faced appearance that I thought would work perfectly and juxtapose her circumstances and surroundings in the image.

Model Costs: £20 – including travel

Props – Mortar board – £5.00
Material – £5.99

Makeup artists – Elle smith
I have found it hard to book a makeup artist so far, I contacted a number on Model Mayhem but they where ether busy, to expensive or weren’t interested in the kind of photography I was doing as it “wouldn’t benefit their portfolio”. I met Elle through my Myspace page, she is still at college studding makeup artistry but I was impressed with her enthusiasm and willingness to help and be involved with the project.

Makeup artist costs – £30

Crew – 3 1^st year photography students
For this shoot I have agreed to let three younger photography students come along with me on the shoot, they are going to document my shoot as well as help me as crew members. This is useful to me in a number of ways as I have a crew of moderately experienced photographer as well as getting images to advertise my photography. I had had the idea of shooting a documentary style film along side my project, but trying to arrange people to shoot that as well as crew and find people to do it for free has proved to be very hard. This will work in the same was as the documentary film as I have been told that they plan to publish the images and use them as publications.

Costume designer – Lolly McIntosh

I needed a costume for my model to wear for this shoot. I looked into renting or buying a graduation style gown, but it was too expensive to rent just one and I didn’t like the ones I could buy from costume shops. Also I wanted to grantee that the costume was going to fit my model, so I decided to have it made to fit Sasha’s measurements as well as to my own visual specifications. I managed to get one of my friends who is experienced in textiles to make the gown for me and I was very happy with the results.

Location – underpasses

I went to see the people at the CV1 Civic centre in Coventry, two weeks ago as I had a feeling I would need to get permission from the council to shoot where I wanted to, as it was so close to the city centre. I was right and I given contact details of Michael Mc Lauchlan. I contacted Michael and he informed me that I needed to send him information of the shoot as well as a copy of the University’s Public Liability insurance. When I had sorted out all of these logistics I emailed him.

Hello my name is Leo Bayley,
We spoke on the phone on Friday about obtaining permission to do a photo shoot, in the underpasses just outside Coventry city centre. In accordance to the information you asked me to provide, the full details for the shoot are as follows:

Date: 23/4/09
Time of day: At intervals between 2pm and 5pm
Crew: 6 people

Please see the attached fills for the universities public liability Insurance.
Any problems please get in contact

Leo.

The response

Hi Leo,
Your filming request has been approved, hope the shoot goes well for you!
Best regards,

Joanne Grimshaw
Communications Executive
CV One Ltd