Self evaluation.

Overall I feel as though I have learnt a lot about myself through developing Last Words. I feel as though I can get lost in concepts and meanings that I do not know here to start of whichI have found difficult within this project I do not know when to stop researching or searching for answers to questions that fill my mind. My curiosity with dark and personal subjects has allowed me to create my own narrative rich images in my own personal style, of which I would say is raw and thought compelling. Although I enjoy writing I have enjoyed being in control of every element, the creative freedom has made me realise that I would like to keep developing my creative skills, in visual story telling.

I feel as though the project has grown a substantial amount from what I originally envisioned, I envisioned perfect glamorous models surrounded by beautiful objects with a hint of horror photography. I feel as though I have found myself as a creative and understand that light topics, and pretty pictures are not my personal style, they do not make me want question the visual further.

I am pleased with the website design as I feel it sets the eerie atmosphere and from feedback entices the people who have viewed it to want to explore further- of which is a positive point as it means that my target audience are interested in the project. It is simple to use, but there are further improvements that if I had used a better programme and had more time then I would of made the house more interactive, in a sense that it would feel as hough the spectator is virtually walking into the room.

overall I feel that this project has tested me as a creative, to question every aspect of my project to develop further knowledge and to improve independent learning. It has taught me to take responsibility  of a project and that communication with others is key. As well as being observant with my designs and thoughts.

Informal statment for those who misinterpret Last Words.

As I am aware that the subject matter of Last Words can be perceived as offensive I have decided to provide an informal statement for those who have a misunderstanding of the project.

I am aware that the material may look offensive however the images are of fictional suicides and therefore every element of this image has not been based on anyone's death.

The project has been created with the intent to raise awareness of suicide regardless of character and appearance, research shows that many people who appear happy, and look healthy commit suicide. Suicidal victims and people whom have relationships with those who have lost someone have all said they wish that they just spoke to home as it could of prevented their loss. Art is a form of talking and communicating ideas.

I have taken a lot of time to research the matter and have myself been in a similar situation and have taken inspiration from my mind set to transform it into a creative project, it was my way of speaking about the subject matter.

Website design.

For my homepage I envision an abandoned house as I feel this adds character to the design and creates an eerie mood. Within my narratives there is a death in a different room of the house therefore it makes sense to have an image of a house or a hallway where the viewer can interact with the site and click on which narrative they want to view by clicking on a door or window that will take them to the scene of the suicide. The images below create the exact mood that I am looking for, I feel as though a house is more suitable for my design particularly as it has five rooms to choose from of which is how many narratives I have chosen to re-create, however I feel it would be a good idea to have images of the rooms possibly in the background. The images will be on a slideshow with a suicide short story or note above them

Idea One.

I have decided to choose image 6 as I feel it's more fitting considering there's five narratives, I like the style of the house and whole setting it looks as though the spectator is peeking through the branches, the titles allow the user to click on whichever narrative they want to pick, once they have clicked the idea is that the link will take them to the related image series.

Idea Two.

I like the idea of being able to see into the house simply to when you open a dolls house, as if the front was to be removed.

I have chosen my second idea as I feel as though it makes my project more personal to the viewer, it's more intriguing and it will entice the spectator in to want to explore the story behind each room. I will create the house in photoshop and will make the rooms interactive.

suicide notes

 In a tutorial with Elizabeth I mentioned how I was struggling with writing my text to accompany the images, Elizabeth suggested reading lyrics of depressive artists as a starting point, I began to look at lana Del Rey to begin with however i felt as though poetic depressive writing really was not my style after showing the notes to a few people on my course which of course would be my target audience, they agreed with me. As I began to develop my research per character I began to read authentic suicide notes some of those who were famous and some from unknown people, it was interesting to see that not all of the notes were depressive and it really showed character of which is what I liked about them. I decided to change my idea from writing short stories to suicide notes, reflecting upon this idea it fits in better with keeping the project to have a realism factor to it. The most intriguing notes have been reflected upon in blog posts regarding that suicide.

The wellcome trust.

The Wellcome trust is a charity dedicated to helping those with mental illnesses, the charity devising a body of ongoing research into subject matters such as depression and suicide. I feel as though it is important to include a link to this website on my website to ensure that if someone would like more information on the subject or would like to support the cause I can point them in the right direction.













 As I had no received a reply and I was extremely busy shooting regrettably I did not follow up the e-mail. However as The Wellcome trust also have a division of exhibitions- I feel it would be interesting if I was to develop my project further to be in contact to pitch my idea to them, with their help this project could develop on a much wider scale to help raise awareness through artistic visuals.

Bedroom.

• There were 3,346 drug poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales in 2014, the highest since comparable records began in 1993
• Of these, 2,248 (or 67%) were drug misuse deaths involving illegal drugs

(http://www.overdoseday.com/resources/facts-stats/)


The bedroom series of images is based on a suicide by a drug overdose, the character is a 'party girl' this is conveyed through all elements of makeup, hair, styling and the misc en scene. The character will look as though they have just come back from a night out and are at an after party. The concept behind this photoshoot is to communicate that even glamorous people who appear to be having an incredible time partying have their dark moments and it can sometimes be a caution or a cry for help that they are having a bad time, although it may seem that partying and taking drugs is a form of escapism when all the people leave the party and the serotonin levels fade, the person is left in darkness.

A drug overdose is extremely relevant in the uk as it is extremely accessible making it easier for some to turn to the substances rather than to seek help. 

Drug Addicts in the media & in fashion. Industry. Reflection on research.

https://youtu.be/Gg3G6smr7M0

https://youtu.be/qLgrTk7Gr38

Within the media drug addicts are often portrayed as being attractive characters, they are also often represented as being seen as 'cool' & 'edgy' yet in reality this is not a real representation yes a lot of people that take drugs are attractive and may seem as though they lead fairly normal lives, however in reality being a drug addict is a position that no one would want to be in. The use of legal and illegal highs is usually to mask issues within the self, of what I am trying to portray within my character . I feel as though my piece is a more modern interpretation and perhaps more realistic, from looking at pieces that have used drug addiction in a narrative I can see how the actor moves, and facial expression of which I can imitate within my images, it is important for me to do this as I am the model I will be directing myself so need to be full of pose ideas.

(https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/513551163739732007/)

Within fashion in the 90's Heroin chic was a huge trend, the trend portrayed a glamourised look of a drug addict. The trend came about due to the influx of Heroin in the uk as the price decreased making the drug more accessible than ever. The makeup look has derived from the heroin chic of the 90's the heroin and other high class drugs can be symbolic for being 'obsessed', the look demonstrates the power that a substance can have over a person ultimately making the character powerless.

An exploration of sexual desire with drugs. 

An idea I want to explore is, do some have a sexual relationship with drugs? When researching the effects of drugs I came across interesting forums of which where those who have taken heroin have described the sensation as a lucid, beyond euphoric experience "no one should feel that good", "Take the best orgasm you’ve ever had multiply it by a billion "(http://highexistence.com/topic/heroin-effect-feel-like-total-body-orgasm/) it is fascinating to compare the feeling of a high to sex, simply sex posses the power to cause and addiction, power and also has the authority to be powerless and a victim to the feeling.Not only when reading about the effects of the substances but when analysing images the users look as though something euphoric has entered the body and is possessing them. I need to display this within my images by posing and facial expression.

Setting, styling and inspiration. Reflection on research.

(https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419890365239122505/)

(https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419890365239122656/)

In the proposal I was going to shoot this scene in a nightclub, however as I have designed my narrative around a house, I decided that a bedroom would be the most likely place that someone would overdose, why? as it is a personal comforting space where we often explore personal experiences, in the sense of sexuality.

As the images above communicate I have been inspired by many images regarding this subject, I feel as though there is a lot more freedom in terms of posing, and in creating the mise en scene. Francessca Woodman has been a huge inspiration by her use of props as well as the subjects explored, Woodmans pieces with mirror in are so effective as it could be communicating blending into the background of society or even loosing a part of yourself, or not knowing who you are as a person. I  have chosen to use a mirror in  this image series as it helps to show an image from more than one angle, using mirrors helps to explore identity, they are symbolic for how we see ourselves and how others see us.The use of mirrors in these visuals helped to explore themes of identity manipulation as in the mirrors you can see the shape of the body but cannot actually see the substances communication to the viewer that character cannot see that they are doing anything wrong whereas from an outsiders point of view.

Styling.

The character is dressed in a provocative way, that suggests she has low self-worth and perhaps no respect for her self as she barley feels like a person, she feels numb so why would it matter what others think of her? The underwear represents a sense of vulnerability she has taken her clothes off at the party as she is hot, it could also be connected to sexual desire, she desires the substances, and her desire is to die. The images will have a sensual feel to them representing her intimate relationship with the substances.

Attic.

To ensure I am not just scratching the surface within my project I am continually researching the subject of each suicide with as much sensitivity as possible, I have included this research as not only is it rather shocking, it backs up many references within my photoshoot  with the use of the whole look, it has helped me to develop the whole idea to come to my final images.

"Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC."  

The statement above is extremely worrying, therefore it is important to recognise some suicidal traits recognised by psychologists, to raise awareness  it is the intention of this chapter to highlight the psychology behind being suicidal using a adolescent character will help to raise awareness that this is very real and can be even more shocking if there is a re-enactment that appears to look younger so that this issue is not ignored.

Bridgend suicides. (Title:Bridgend (2013) Director:John Williams )

The Bridge end suicides of 2011 was an issue of suicides by youths, it was believed to be a suicide pact encouraged by "suicide cults" , between the months of January 2007 -February 2009 there was a series of 25 suicides, where all but one of the suicides was caused by hanging. Many of the suicides were committed between the ages of 13-17. It was believed that the media was to blame for the high volume of deaths due to the amount of media coverage many of the adolescents parents felt as though it was encouraging others to copy, causing a horrific 'domino effect'. Although no one knows the cause of these upsetting incidents of which is leading to more suffering from their family and friends. The documentary was insightful and truly heartbreaking, it was interesting to discover that all of the adolescents knew each other, they all hung themselves, and none of them left a suicide note.  Interestingly many of the suicidal victims were found hanging in a crouching/kneeling position.The parents and friends of those who committed suicide revealed that their sibling showed no signs of depression and all seemed fairly happy. All of the victims peers had said that they wished that they had just spoken to them beforehand so they could get an insight to how they were feeling so that they could've helped.

There is a clear link between bullying and suicide particularly with adolescents . 

I think it is important to display a narrative that tackles suicide within youth, although this will not be pleasant to look at, it is important to highlight that it is real and it does happen to help raise awareness. Statistics in Britain shows that half of teenage deaths are related to suicide and girls that are of the age of 10-14 are more effected by bullying and suicide.

It is a serious issue that has been displayed numerous times in the media particularly in television and films, British Urban film 'Kidulthood' (Noel Clarke) showcases scenes of bullying that eventually leads to suicide of which is a serious problem that is sometimes dismissed in reality, in the scene it is clear that the parents are aware of the bullying but refuse to talk to their child about it, perhaps causing an awareness that if they spoke to their daughter about the problem and helped then there is a possibility that suicide could of been avoided- sadly this is very realistic I am hopeful that this project will help to display the mind frame of those suffering with suicidal thoughts and will help to raise awareness.

https://youtu.be/0jQZUKkOSGE

Feedback from Haris Nukem international photographer.

After many attempts I managed to get a response from photographer Haris Nukem of which I find influential for my project, luckily Nukem gave me some valuable feedback on my project so far, of which I have taken on board and have developed my project from his advice as he would be prime to my target audience.  Haris has also been featured in 'Dark Beauty' magazine of which is my aim, so hearing his perspective on the images has helped to choose which direction I will choose to go with the upcoming photoshoots.

(https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/407575835005778496/,05.03.2016)

Where are you from?

My family and I are Bosnian, I came to London as a refugee when I was 2 years old.

When did you discover your talent for photography?

I've always been very keen to strong compositions and styling. 

I spent most of my professional career as a creative, designer or producer in advertising.

Upon starting a small brand with a friend 2 and a bit years ago, it became apparent that I'd need to start taking photographs. 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

People and their passions.

Who inspires you?

Visually - Tarentino, Fincher, Refn

Morally - My family and the entrepreneurs who mentored me from my late teens.

What do you look for in a model?

Sometimes when I see a face or hear a tone of voice I get an idea. 

I typically stick to those, the people that instantly make me want to take photographs.

How would you describe your style of photography?

An extension of myself.

Do you think that narrative is important when creating photos? (If so why?)

Not particularly. It depends what the objective is. For me, I'd like to take emotive photographs. There doesn't need to be a story for that.

Do you think it is important to explore controversial concepts?

I don't feel responsible to do so. Our only responsibility should be to create what's true to us and our own vision. 

If there's an exploration that comes naturally, then it makes sense.  

Regarding your photographs - 

What do you think of the concept?

Conceptually it's a reenactment. I think it's worth pinning an additional part of the story to make it cohesive. 

What do you think of the look and feel?

I definitely like the tones. There's a photo submerged in the bath shot from over head that's really good. It's really emotive. 

I think that the key is to resonate with the person looking on, with suicide, it's a melancholy theme. 

The model (which i believe is you), only in my opinion, shouldn't make too much eye contact with the camera. 

Or if she does, it should be with a look of desperation.

I like the plastic wrap photo where you've got your tounge out.

It's important not to go crazy with the posing as the goal (i think) is not to look contrived.

Personally, I think that rather than submitting 5 - 6 photos from each scenario, you should just pick the single best.

I am planning to submit the project to Dark beauty Magazine, you have been featured in the magazine before do you think the project is suitable to their ethos and publishable? 

I do think some of the images will suit the ethos I would only submit the strongest images that will connect an emotional response to the audience. 

Do you think this is a project that would interest you?

It depends on the final product really. If it becomes cohesive and you can make it feel really genuine, I think it'll be great.

What do you think are the strongest images that provoke a response to yourself?

Bath one 

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Big up, good luck, look forward to seeing where you land x

Reflection.

To further my project I have taken on his feedback and will concentrate on making my poses more natural, I also agree with Haris's point of making sure the images look natural in order to achieve a more emotional response as I feel the images that aren't so used work best with the theme with keeping the images more realistic. His feedback will help me to select the images that I will use for my project by choosing the more realistic images that have an edgy high fashion approach to them.

Kitchen.

Co-proxamol poisoning was a popular method of poisoning leading to death, this is usually performed via a car or a gas oven. However this method of suicide has decreased as the switch from coal gas to natural gas in London suicide rates dropped by 33% it was the most popular method before the change. What is interesting about the research is that it is mainly women who used this approach to suicide, of which gave me a strong foundation to create a fictional character from, it makes me question is it a feminist act as women were and still are associated with the kitchen, so there they must die.

What is intriguing is that females are more likely to commit suicide via gas inhalation why? An insightful experimentation scholary "Gender and Suicide Method: Do Women Avoid Facial Disfiguration?" (Valerie J. Callanan & Mark S. Davis)

This abstract  Attempts to explain why with evidenced data, the social experiment asked a large number of females and males what their choice of method would be if they were to commit suicide and why. The males chose more aggressive methods such as firearms, whereas the most common answer amongst females was the method of an overdose or gas inhalation, when questioned about the method the most common answer was that it seemed to be more painless. However is there a deeper issue such as even when females are dead they still want to be perceived as attractive? Particularly in Western culture it is important that females are the most attractive sex, we see it in the media on advertisements, in films that females who die still look fairly attractive, almost everything we see is dominated by female appearance, from a young age we are taught through western culture that being pretty is important they get what they want. Although this study is only culturally generalised so cannot be applied to every culture. What is interesting about the abstract is that a growing body of research suggests that suicides (apart from those suffering with mental health issues) are often triggered by a string of stressful events such as a death in the family, loss of job and a martial dissolution (Hendin et al 2001. Maltsberger. et. al 2003. Mann, 2004)

The belief that women commit suicide in a way that they may be found more attractive is underpinned by high profile suicides such as writers Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath of which are both important figures within my research for gas inhalation Anne Sexton. Why are they important to the viewer? They broke the wall of speaking about mental health issues and self-destructivness in a time where women did not have a voice, their deaths make a stamen perhaps a cry for help along with their writings.

Sylvia Plath.

Plath a renowned post-war poet is celebrated for her violent emotive works and her obsession with death Plath's literal works are a 'must read' within my project, to help identify some of the issues leading her to tragically end her life. Her pieces could be perceived as a cry for help. Pinsky referred to Plaths poems as a person who is in love with an ideal self. It has been identified that Plath suffered with depression, had unresolved conflicts with her parents and appears to have suffered having an abusive childhood, Plath attempted suicide at the age of 19 by taking an overdose of sleeping tablets. In 1942 Plath's marriage to writer Ted Hughes ended leaving her to look after her two children she later committed suicide by gas inhalation in 1963.

The question that springs to my mind is was Plath considered a feminist? Although I am aware that during the 50's era feminism was not that advanced many elements of Plath screams feminist to myself. Plath was an admin a devoted writer, and a famous on at that that takes time, passion and determination of which results in a career, a female that had a successful career without a male was almost unheard of during this era. Her fame as writer communicates to myself that society opinion did not bother her, of which I view as empowering. In Plath's poem "Last Word's" (1961) a verse reads “let me have my copper cooking pots, let my rouge pots / bloom about me like night flowers, with a good smell”.  This could be decoded as being humorous mocking society, however what I find most intriguing is the fact that Plath was found dead in her oven where of course she would cook, was this a sign of how she was going to commit suicide?

Reflection on research.

What I found interesting about the research in this post, is that does gender effect how one may choose to commit suicide? I had never considered gender to have a result on how someone may choose to commit suicide, ultimately it cannot be said that females avoid facial disfigurement when committing suicide as a fact, however subconsciously it is considered to have an impact. I asked myself the question of if I was to commit suicide how would I choose my method? Admittedly I would choose to overdose, as I feel as though it would be a less 'disturbing' way for my parents to find me, I also think it would cause less pain, so I suppose I do consider the way I would look when dying.

As it is  mainly women who committed suicide via gas inhalation in the oven is this making more of a statement? Is it proposing perhaps feminist or sexist values? I possibly think so the women in the images appear to look rather glamorous as the images look as though they are not from this era, the way that they are clothed suggests they are older, perhaps dressed in a way that suggests they have a family or have arrived home from work. I think the way that I will look in my images will give some clue to the viewer my back ground story, of perhaps marks on the body that suggest an abusive relationship, self harm or even a dramatic event that has lead the character to her death. The research will explain the image of who she is and suggestions as to what has happened.

Makeup design.

The character has found out her husband has been unfaithful of which has pushed her to the limit, she is tired of being treated badly not only by her other half but in the workplace and her life.

How does the makeup communicate this?

 The makeup is fairly natural and will look slightly worn, as if it has been worn all day at work. The look is meant to be of a realistic standard of the average women arriving home from work late. The marks on her arm indicate a possibility of domestic abuse or self harm, the bruises have been created on the pressure points of which are hard to create indicating that they were created purposefully.

The makeup in the image above I would say is of a standard of the average woman, this is what I mean by realistic looking makeup.

I feel as though a warm eye with a natural base, and natural contour under the cheek bones is achievable by most females, the brows are rather strong but this was due to dramatic lighting, eyebrows are extremely important when conveying emotion, the use of contour will make the images more effective with darker lighting. Product wise I used a light tinted moisturiser which evened the skin out and gave little coverage as older women tend to wear less makeup in general. 

I had to make the bruising extra heavy again this was due to dramatic lighting, I created them so they looked fairly new to indicate that the character has literally been pushed to this act, it was an impulsive act.

Kitchen photoshoot.

Reflection on production.

To make this narrative more effective I decided that I wanted to shoot the Kitchen series in the evening as I felt this would look more dramatic, some may question why I did not use artificial lighting and post production to re-create an evening lighting and atmosphere, my reply would be that I like natural lighting as I feel it always looks more effective and helps me to get in character and to really imagine that this is happening in reality. I decided that it would be interesting if we were to position the camera inside the oven, so that the spectator can get the perspective as if they were inside the oven, I am yet to see this been done when re-enacting gas oven inhalation, this was difficult as the photographer could not see my expressions or the  the angle of the camera so it took a lot of shots get images that showed my face, however after many trials I was happy that I had some shots to use to show the narrative. I wanted to use a clean oven as this represents not only modernity but it creates reflections of which I love Francesca Woodman used a lot of reflections in her images she is an influential photographer to me in general so unconsciously I suppose Woodman’s infatuation with reflection has transferred into this piece, as well as exploring political and feminity factors. Overall I feel as though this shoot is very much tamed and less graphic in comparison to the others of which I feel is a positive attribute as it is good to have balance, as if all of my shoots are produced to shock it will subtract from the deeper meanings and messages that the viewers can explore. If all of my shoots were as graphic as each other the project will loose effect and the powerful messages intertwined within the images. In terms of makeup,hair and styling it does not look challenging however making my makeup look as though it had been worn all day was harder than it looks, it required melting the makeup slightly, rubbing the eyes, drying out the lips with spirit gum, the lighting was also extremely dark so it also had to be applied rather heavy but also look natural so getting the balance of product right was key.

Presentation Feedback.

The presentation feedback was extremely helpful as although at the time I was on schedule, there was many suggestions that encouraged me to research further and to manage my time on better. I feel as though I am extremely apprehensive in general but gaining feedback from a panel of others that appears to be fairly positive has given me more confidence in what I am doing.

1) What has been successful so far, what have you been pleased with?

 I’ve been pleased with my first few shoots I’m happy with how the project is progressing, I’m so happy with my photographer I feel that we really understand what we both want and work well together as a team to achieve an effective outcome.

2) Are you on track with your original production schedule, if not why and what do you need to adjust?

I’m not on track with my production schedule due to my photographer cancelling once seen due to work commitments so I’m a week behind my production schedule. However I have changed the idea of having the deaths re-enacted in a public place as my research demonstrates that most suicides are completed within the home, I also feel inspired by Francessca Woodman to perform my project within a home as her pieces are mainly shot within different rooms of which is a very fitting element.  I have also done the narratives in a different order this is as my photographer could not get to the locations so I am working with another photographer for the location images. I’m also finding it hard to write short stories before I produce the images, as to me the images inspire me to create words so I have decided to write the short stories after the photoshoots so i can focus solely on the stories and website design. 

3) How have you resolved major issues?

I haven’t had any major issues as far at this point just little issues that can easily resolved by re-scheduling, and practising if elements such as adjusting the makeup design. I am constantly asking for feedback from my target audience to keep me on track to keep developing my project. I am continually educating myself on the subject and am researching every week to keep the concept strong and to help develop my ideas. Such as watching films, documentaries, reading scholarly articles and art pieces relevant to my concept to stay true to my topic as I feel it’s important to keep focused on the idea and not to go off track and loosing your intended outcome on the way.

4) What requires further improvement?

I feel that I need to start my website design, and I need to start writing down some ideas and start getting feedback on them as my worst fear is for them to be cheesy and unfitting. I am also struggling with finding titles for my narratives and my project therefore I have created a few titles and will get feedback to see which one is more fitting.

5) You may also want to suggest ideas for further development of your project.

 For the development I will be getting consistent feedback and will keep on finding elements that inspire me.

The feedback I received was surprising as I was content with my images but I was not sure that others would understand them or would feel that they are distasteful, however the tutors and students seemed to like my images of which is re-assuring, it was advised to make sure that I have a page showing that I am choosing to study and re-enact this topic with the intention to raise awareness it's a way of speaking out about how one is feeling, by creating art or writing, also to make sure I contact the Welcome Trust , I am in the process of attempting to get further research from them or even to conduct an interview.

From my research I realise that I should start to concentrate on making sure my 'suicide notes' are written well, and to ensure I spend as much time on my website as I am on all of the elements.

High Fashion Crime Scenes.

Melanie Pullen High Fashion Crime Scenes.

Pullen's book of imagery of crime scenes that took place in Los Angeles, the project is extremely visually pleasing and it is interesting to see how other creatives tackle the sensitive issue of death. The photographers images are realistic and raw, although the models are beautiful in haute couture clothing re-enacting deaths much like my project. The images are quite brutal but there is a clear link between her project and mine as both are featuring an re-enactment of death. Pullen's has already been published I have looked to see if many were offened by the figures project. Pullen's project is said to be "disturbing, beautiful, and mysterious" (CBS Radio).

I am struggling to find any members of the public who find the project distasteful yet this project is based upon factual events giving me confidence that my project will not offend although it is important for me to understand that not everyone will understand it or take a liking to it. I must make it clear that I have researched into the topic and understand the that many people are affected by suicide and that it is not the intention of the project to offend, neither to glamourise suicide it is about speaking about the subject with an artistic yet senstitve approach.

(http://www.highfashioncrimescenes.com, 05.02.16)

Influential photographers.

Through out this project there have been three photographers that are constantly inspiring the growth of my project all three have different styles of photography but their concepts and images are rich with narrative and have created striking,beautiful images in their own right.

Haris Nukem.

Haris Nukem is an underground photographer based in London, I stumbled across his work on Instagram and was intrigued by his style of images, they are mysterious, full of narrative with a raw contemporary twist. What I find refreshing about Nukem's images is that they do not seem to be over re-touched you can still see the skins natural texture and lines. The lighting and post-production is extremely similar to how I envisioned my images to be, my photographer perhaps not so dramatic but  I like cool tones and shadows. This is a photographer that I have introduced to my project photographer Toni Ward so she can get a feel of the post-production. He has tackled the issues of self harm and depression with suicidal tendencies in quite a raw sense you can see the models suffering within their eyes and the setting his images are something to reflect on and have made me think about how to deal with the re-enactments in my images and that I can keep it quite realistic as long as it is done so with taste.

Francesca Woodman.

Francesca Woodman is a photographer that has great relevance to my topic and has inspired me greatly. The deceased artist committed suicide at the age of 22, Woodman's work is strongly conceptual Woodman explores issues of the female body's subjectivity creating mainly images of which contained herself naked. I love how she explores vulnerability as this is a factor I intend on touching on.I have taken inspiration from the infamous figure to use myself as the main subject to explore my concept. I feel inspired by Woodman's realistic approach to her images they are untouched, Woodman's parents explain that there is no evidence of some of Woodman's concepts behind the images leaving it for the spectator to decide. Without a doubt the photographers work is extremely artistic the Woodman's state in the documentary about the art of Francesca "What is the art saying?" The work to me seems to explore female subjectivity, entrapment and provocative of which are elements that my work investigates as previous research suggests in Joiners framework of suicidal behaviour and Simons 'Naked suicide' scholar- of which will show more depth to my work. (Sam Willis, 2011, The Woodmans)

Below is a short clip of the documentary of 'The Woodmans' it is interesting to get a perspective of Francesca's work and personality from those who knew her personally. What is a compelling piece of information is that her parents and peers note there was no evidence as to why she committed suicide she did not seem deprived emotionally, she had a good upbringing and did not seem to follow Joiners  neither Durkheim's framework of suicidal behaviour patterns, yet her work could suggest differently the artists death and emotional state is a mystery yet her work could say otherwise.

(https://youtu.be/074vh1l8rs8, 25.2.16)

Laura Makabresku.

Laura Makabresku is the final photographer that is contributing to inspire the outcome of my images. Like myself Makabresku has portrayed a series of images that depict suicidal tendencies but in such a delicate way, the artists approach to sensitive subjects is intriguing as the images exhibit dark issues yet there is a beauty within them whether that be the soft cool lighting, the peachy glow of skin, or delicate butterflies Makabreskus work is so powerful due to her use of pretty elements that create a delicate outcome.  The figures work showcases images of mental health and death similar to myself although I will be taking a harsher approach to the subjects. Makabresku's take on suicide is very fanciful to look at as if suicide is pretty, in my moodpboard there is an image from her 'fairytale' inspired suicide image the women has delicate white butterflies on her gown and in her hair as her face is resting expressionless with a noose tied around her neck. Reflecting on her work it makes me feel as though her work has some dark concepts she has interpreted them in a softer light the image look like pieces of art, I hope that my pieces look like pieces of art to show that I have delivered the topic tastefully. What I will transfer into my images is the use of skin details to to tell a story about the character.

All three photographers have different styles of photography yet approach what seems like similar concepts, I think I feel inspired by the artists as I am drawn to cool lighting and striking images that have depth to them, I want to create images that are thought provoking, controversial and look like pieces of meaningful art that can be interpreted in the way the viewer wishes.