'Nother Exhibition.

So, these are my final prints up on the walls of Eldon, and they will remain there for the next year, so anyone in Portsmouth is free to go look.

I'm quite proud of myself, and at least this is an indication that I passed, as I can think of one person whose work wasn't 'allowed' to be put up, it doesn't even look like they left her a space, so it isn't as though she just didn't turn up.

Blap, finished.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

So, I had a tutorial this morning, and changed a few things, my idea seemed to go down well enough so I was happy enough to make a few adjustments and it's not like they took long.
I also finally found a good quality copy of the advert that I was going to use, which is a relief because I'm printing now and the scanned version just wasn't coming up well at all, no one mentioned it in the tutorial, but it was something I was unhappy with anyway.
These are my final images, no more adjustments needed, with just a small amount of my RDB and mounting left to do and an easy target of Monday to get it all done by, I feel pretty good.

Reworked font colour.

..and size.
These details are of so little importance to both me and whoever is looking at this, that it almost seems pointless. Essentially, these three JPGs are the same as the ones below, but, I do think these look a bit better and hopefully it is something that Daniel will pick up on, especially as I'll be using black foam board rather than the oddly specified white.
Let it be noted I've tried to use as true fonts as possible as well.
I think this could be my final work. To the printers - on Tuesday.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

I have been left almost completely alone this evening, and after I finished up this (a task which took me the duration of Eastenders), rather than spend my time wisely working on my RDB, I was on the phone.
First to my Gran for nearly an hour, and then to my sister for two hours, ridiculous. However, I have had quite a busy day, so apart from the InDesign tweaking I probably wouldn't have been bothered to do much else anyway. It does bother me that I will still have the same pile of RDB work to do over the weekend, but if it's going to be as wet and rainy as they say - fingers crossed not for Monday - then I may as well make use of less distracting time indoors.

The band pitch went well, but I didn't get it, I think I've learnt from it though, hey ho.
I need to learn to think a bit more and worry a bit less.

All spreads, 1st draft.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

So these are my final draft spreads, with all the answers put in and without placeholder text, it feels good to have the basic elements finished but there are some finishing touches to be made before I'll feel confident enough to hand these in.
I may even change the advert yet, too and I'm not sure about the red, but going with the same colour throughout isn't something I've seen Company do in an article of this kind, yet.

In other news, the date of pitching to a band is looming, as in, it's tomorrow, I am seriously considering throwing it, it's making me so nervous. I don't really know what they want, I have no experience and the only reason I'm even going for it is so I can get some. My only ideas are already done, basic, band photography, although, maybe any band that doesn't really go in this direction, particularly as a new band starting out, I'm not sure how much of a chance they would have. ARGH, all that aside, it's driving me mad, whether I'm a competent photographer, or not.

First page draft.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

This is the first page of the final brief article, I've added in the text and changed around some font colours.
Eep, now this is almost done I'm going to have to start the other parts of the article...

Men.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.*

So, this is the first page, I've decided on Company, as I was going to do Cosmopolitan but it's for a wider age range and Company is more aimed at 18-24, exactly the age group of my models. While they don't do shoots like this all the time, I actually basically saw my article in this months issue - minus the photos, I'm so annoyed because if I use it in research it will look like I've copied them even though I've had this planned since February. I guess I will have to use it anyway.
I think if I keep going I should manage to finish by the end of the week, it wasn't as hard as I thought to edit Sam's face to be less over-exposed, it still is, but it's not so bad, and hopefully it won't be as obvious when printed out either - which I guess is the point.
Will keep posted as I progress, I hope this is ok.

Just printed this out and the original photo might look better; they all look so white, I think I'll need a professional opinion tomorrow.....
This is the original photo:


* Will be using Garamond typeface eventually, only just realised it's Times in the bulk text, dammit, just when I took so long to select the fonts for other areas(!!!)

Andrew Moon.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

Some images from this morning's reshoot for The Body magazine project.

Sam Soh.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

Some images from this morning's reshoot for The Body magazine project.

Photoshopping faces.

Because it appears to be too much hassle to arrange another shoot at this time, and I have very little time to edit everything anyway. Urgh, this hasn't worked out too badly though, and luckily I don't have to do it for anyone else.

Morning well spent.

From half 10 until 1, I helped make these with Abbie and Gayatri, not too bad a job really.
It's the conclusive piece for Brief Three, for which we got given both a model, a designer and a rough idea for which the pieces were based on. This is a mock spread for I-D, it's made me look forward to my own spread a bit more now.
Group work isn't so bad when it all comes together, even if some members have proved themselves to be almost entirely useless by this point.

Men being men.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.

"I'll have to be honest and say I'm a bit of breast man!"
The shoot today went quite well, I have a feeling that my final images are within what I took today, I just need to tweak some of them. It was a lot easier than I expected, but boiling hot. I think I took enough time, I just hope that it wasn't too boring for my models really, they did a good job anyway.

My mind has been going 10 to the dozen today, I think it's thanks to a good breakfast.
My dissertation proposal is been looked upon in good favour and I've found lots of journals to help me out, I can't wait to start it properly, even if the thought of 10,000 words is unbelievably daunting. Everything to do with university work is whirling round in my head and it feels amazing to be so interested, even in other people's work, today was a great day.

Oh, heyaz Andy(!)

I have a proper idea, I am amazed with myself.
I may have mentioned I was going to focus on Andy and his weight loss - this has expanded, I am not focussing on male body issues and whether there is really a problem.
Due to the images I am shooting culminating in an editorial piece, it is important to note that whilst creativity is a key dimension within editorial photography, within certain magazines, it can be the written content that is important. So for my images, I will be focussing on classic lighting which will remain the focal point of creativity within my images against the innovation of the posing/makeup/costume etc.

Today I did a test shoot with Andy, who had already agreed to help me out anyway.
I had to do it at home because the studio is booked almost solidly and the only time I could get when I booked it was Thursday 18th at 2pm, which in terms of now is ages away. Some of these did turn out ok though.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I want my images to demonstrate the normality of my model's bodies, with the accompanying text elevating how they are perceived. From talking with men since the beginning of the overall project as well as keeping a pulse on male magazines and infotainment programmes, there seems to be an increase in the amount of men who have certain issues with their body, however small, this contrasts greatly with the man of a few years ago who was a 'right geeza' - now even Nuts tells you how to dress.
The buzz-word 'manorexia' has been thrown around and there has been an increase in male body dysmorphia, but that isn't really what this project is about, it's about normality and how normal guys feel about these emerging problems.

I personally think the concept is quite solid, I just need some visual research and more photographs. Work, work, WORK!

Inspiration. #1

© Anna Fox, 1999-present, from the series, "Back to the Village".

Still going with the costume thing for the editorial project, have a couple of people who have said they would model for me when I need them, I just wish I needed them now rather than later, I feel like I'm behind, despite the fact I know that there are a lot of people who haven't done anything yet.
There is a halfway crit/show on 10th March, nervous(!!!)