Retro Steps

Look at me blogging again! One of our recent projects at uni was to create a ten second moving image advertising shoes, there were a number of different themes that you could follow when making your moving image, we (my group) got 'retro steps.'

The first thing that I think of when I hear retro is platforms and hippies...With this in mind we started writing down our ideas and making mind maps, we couldn't settle on one idea and we kept changing our minds. Later that day we had a critique on our idea, we sort of just made it up as we went, but with the feedback we were given we finally had an amazing idea that would look really professional.

Being in the midst of four of five different projects, everyone in the group was focusing on their own work and ideas for other projects and it wasn't until we looked at the module guide that we realised that we were meant to be filming our moving image the next day.

So as half of the group didn't know or we couldn't get in touch with them, our group of seven became a group of four, we all came in on the day we were meant to be filming and had to completely change our original idea as we had to work with what we had. We decided to go for a 70s/80s theme with a modern twist, the shoes we would use would have platforms, the colours and style of the shoe would fit in perfectly with the theme and the music we had to choose would have to also work well in time with the video.

We set off on location and asked some retro shops if we could film inside but unfortunately they wouldn't let us so we had to brave the cold and shoot outside, the location wasn't perfect but at least we got it done in time unlike practically everyone else...

                      

We then had to show our videos to the whole group, after hearing everyone's feedback about our video, I changed my mind and decided "It's not too bad actually..." For the amount of rushed work we had to do and laborious hours of editing the footage, we were all very pleased with the outcome.

I worked with:

www.jadelyonsphotography.blogspot.co.uk

www.cortneywilsonphotography.blogspot.co.uk

www.stefrichardsphotography.blogspot.co.uk

The Wizard of Oz

Just before the Christmas break I had to hand in my multiple composite project at uni. The brief was that I had to create a multiple composite image showing scale and advertising a brand or style of a product, one shot being on location and the other being shot in the studio.

To begin with I honestly had no idea what I was going to do and then after researching and developing my ideas I came up with the idea to follow a Wizard of Oz theme. The advertising element would come from the iconic ruby slippers which would also show the scale part of my image, I then had to think of a location which ideally would have been a yellow brick road but I don't think I've ever seen one in my life apart from in the film. The next idea for the location was a park or field but the focus would be on the tree which still follows the narrative in the film.

So with the location shot done I then had to shoot in the studio, I borrowed some red heels from my friend and got Jade (www.jadelyonsphotography.blogspot.co.uk) to model them, we tired to recreate the pose Dorothy does when she is first wearing the shoes.

Instagram Polaroids

Recently I signed up to www.myunidays.com for student discount without having to have an NUS card. The website shows you how much discount you can get online or in store at a variety of different shops, scrolling though the site I found a website that allowed you to choose which of your Instagram photos you would like to be printed off and sent to you.

 

You can choose from polaroids prints or sticker prints and the prices vary depending on how many prints you want, a set of 18 polaroid prints costs £8, a set of 27 costs £10 and a set of 36 costs £12 not including your 10% student discount and all with free delivery. The sticker prints range from a set of 24 for £8, 48 for £10 and 72 for £12 again all with free delivery.

 

I chose to pay £12 for the 36 polaroid prints, the website is easy to use and allows you to sign into your Instagram account and choose which photos you want to be printed. After choosing them and paying you will sent emails telling you if your photos are being printed yet and when they have been dispatched.

 

 

My prints arrived within a few days and were in this silver envelope which I have kept to store my prints in that I am yet to use.

The photos are printed on high quality paper with a silk finish, I'm sure your Instagram photos will be more interesting than my numerous 'selfies' and photos of food.

 

 I bought these prints so I could add them to a scrap book, instead of sticking them in with glue I have  bought 200 photo corners so I can take the photos out of the book if  ever want to.

 

 

The website also allows you to create business cards, leaflets and flyers, postcards, calendars and lots more.

 

www.printed.com

www.myunidays.com

 

 

Studio Shoot

A spontaneous blog post is it? Today I was shooting in the studio for a multiple composite project at uni, I worked with Jade (www.jadelyonsphotography.blogspot.co.uk) and Cortney (www.cortneywilsonphotography.blogspot.co.uk) and we spent about 3 hours shooting our images.

The images shot in the studio will be photoshopped onto an image of a location therefore the lighting had to match that of the location. I never really know how to end these blog posts...I should probably learn. 

Retro Steps

I was given a new brief at college recently, the outcome was one still life advertising image of a shoe. I had to pick the theme out of a hat and had to follow this theme throughout the project, I picked 'retro steps.' 

 

The first thing that came to my mind was platform shoes and bell bottomed jeans, after researching what retro actually meant, I found out retro referred to anything from 10-15 years ago so I had loads of years and different fashion trends I could choose from. I finally decided to focus on a 70's inspired image, my idea original started off with a punk feel with studded heels, this then changed into a generic rock theme. As my family are notorious Rod Stewart fans (it gets ridiculous) I had plenty of old vinyl's and cassette tapes to choose from to use in my image. 

 

My final image turned into more of a Rod Stewart inspired look which is still in keeping with the retro theme. 

 

This is how the composition of my image started off, I was having troubles with the lights as they kept going into error mode and the radio slaves weren't working and I think that's why my composition looked terrible as I was wasn't in the right mind set.

 

 

After some well needed help and moving of props, my final image looks like this:

 

 

Busy busy busy...

I haven't blogged in a while as I'm currently in the middle of a number of different projects at college, I will keep up to date from now on...I hope, I'm also still getting used to blogging and I'm trying to sort out my template and layout, I'm quite indecisive so I imagine these will always be changing.

 I plan to make a new blog post over the weekend with more of a structure, I will also schedule a few more to make up for the weeks that I have missed. I am out on location tomorrow shooting for a multiple composite project that I will definitely be blogging about soon. 

First Blog Post!

A little bit about me... 

Hi, my name is Lyndsey Ruddick, I am 19 years old and I currently live in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I have started this blog as part of a project, I am currently in my first year of studying FdA Photography at Newcastle College, previous to this I studied Extended Diploma Photography also at Newcastle College for 2 years. I am interested in a range of photography however most of my images are fashion orientated, I enjoy shooting both out on location and in the studio. One of my recent projects involved working with low to mid key lighting in the studio and the brief stated that the model I was photographing had to be wearing a creative hat, after a  lot of mind mapping, researching and worrying I chose my final idea. I have a love for all things Audrey Hepburn and I tried to incorporate this love into my images, my creative hat was a headscarf which was brought to fashion by Audrey Hepburn. Here are some of my photos I have shot, both for 

projects and personal work: