There has always been a long term debate whether photography was considered an art form since it was invented around 1839. I feel that throughout time and the development of technology and increasingly refining the tools of photographic processes that answer is a pretty obvious yes, especially when it comes to digital photography. Within the digital age, photography is not just about clicking a shutter anymore. A photographer is able to control so many aspects of one’s own photograph; whether in camera or out of camera in a photo editing software program like Photoshop. In Photoshop, a photographer can choose to enhance their photograph minimally by adjusting things like color balance, contrast and sharpness or they can choose to completely alter and manipulate their photograph in any way, shape, or form. Photographers now have the tools to express their own visions and act like painters, abstractionists, sculptures, designers, even plastic surgeons! The possibilities are endless within the world of digital photography.
As a photographer, I am interested in creating stylized imagery. My work is influenced by fashion and beauty photography but I do not consider myself a fashion photographer. I feel as if that label has too many standards and guidelines that I do not want to box myself in with. I hope that viewers see my work as a collaboration of ideas and inspiration. In my opinion, a good photographer pulls inspiration from all genres of photography and does not single out their views. I feel like too many photographers get stuck in this label genre, in which they end up restricting themselves to what they can do with a camera. And I refuse to limit myself.
I have mixed feelings about the fashion and beauty industry which I find myself constantly battling day to day. I too fall victim to the ideas of what is beautiful. I constantly struggle with the notions that I am not pretty enough, skinny enough, and perfect enough. But what is perfect anyway? No one is perfect not even the models we rip out of fashion magazines and plaster all over our walls and refrigerators for motivation. We too can look that way, (and not by starving ourselves and spending thousands of dollars on plastic surgery.) There is a new age, 21th century form of plastic surgery, and yet there is no “going under the knife,” or recovery time. It's called Photoshop. Even as a fashion inspired photographer who knows all the tricks of the trade and even though I know nothing you see should ever be taken for face value, I still too fall victim to these fabricated and embellished images. It is like even though we know magazines are retouched, misrepresented, and fabricated we have this notion in our heads that a photograph must capture a moment in time, the real moment.
As a photographer, hoping to one day work in the fashion and beauty industry I find myself forgetting the power of the image. I always have to remind myself that the photographs I see and even the photographs I create are not real. You can never trust a photographer. I think that is why I am always doing these side projects that focus on the fabricated beauty within the fashion industry as well as just within photography in the twenty first century. I too, am fascinated by the fictional, made up and stylized world of creating your own reality within an image through the digital media. But I am constantly reminding myself of this false sense of reality by studying the effects of this altered and unattainable perfection we all seem to lust for. Through whatever means it may be, I am just trying to wrap my head around it all and study human behavior and the human mind. I am in no way trying to change what the fashion/beauty industry has built nor am I really passing judgment since I too am practicing the art of lying. As an artist, I can only create; learn from it and recreate. But even with how much time, effort, and thought I put into creating these elaborate photographs I still too am lost within them. I seem to forget the before image and focus on the afters.
Within fashion photography there are a lot of restrictions and guidelines that photographers, models, and the studio teams must abide by from model measurement, beauty lighting 101,retouching, etc
Usually, for fashion photography the model must be very tall and thin, and even so they will become thinner and taller through post production. Fashion photography usually always starts with the clothes and everything else just reinforces that.
For swimsuit or lingerie, you are either selling the form, the function, a fantasy, or sex. The women are usually shorter and have the ideal shape of the hourglass. The shorter height, balances out a more proportional model. Males have large shoulders, a slender waist that tappers down from the shoulders and boxy hips.
Lighting and make up is very important when it comes to beauty photography. Since beauty photography is mostly shot from shoulder up the detail and closeness to a models face is very important, especially in post production when a retoucher must remove blemishes and smooth skin which can take many hours. The easiest way to remove a large portion of skin blemishes overall is by using a very flat light. The light will flatten out skin, effectively not putting any added emphasis on blemishes. However this flat light will remove all contrast and flatten and widen a models face. This is where make up is very important. A good make up artist will build up contrast and can reconstruct a face just by physically painting in highlights and shadows. What is lighter will appear closer and what is darker will recede. If a photographer decides to use a harsher light for their beauty photographs a lot more time will be spent in post production removing blemishes, pores, and smoothing skin since the added contrast from the light will uncover all of that models "imperfection."
Regardless of my mixed feeling about the reality of the fashion and beauty industry I really cannot imagine myself doing anything else with my life. If I can be surrounded by beautiful models, beautiful locations and beautiful clothes and take photographs, I am pleased. If I'm able to go back to my roots of painting and recreate a photograph how ever my mind sees it through photoshop, then I am happy. And when I see a final image that is a collaboration of ideas, inspiration, and a team of talented individuals, I am just ecstatic. If an image in a magazine can make you feel anything, then we have all done our job.
I cannot deny that creating an idealized world can be exciting at times. But there is no bigger reality check then retouching a beautiful models face at 100%. ;)
More Jennifer:
Portfolio: www.jenniferavello.com/
Tumblr: jenniferavello.tumblr.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/jenniferavellophotography
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