AESTHETIC
Week 3 is all about Creating the Frame. This is the context or the backdrop of the story you are creating. It’s the stage and how the performer will be perceived. You get to be super specific about who you want the audience to feel and each element that is defined in Aesthetic has a specific intention. The subtleties within each attribute of the body and how we adorn it can be defining or disjointing details, so here we will learn how to choose wisely and make it all point back to the “why”.
EXPRESSION
In creating the frame, we start at the top. Your head and face are often the first thing people see so we start with helping you define what you actually do with your face.
We all have micro expressions, defined as “the innate result of a voluntary and an involuntary emotional response occurring simultaneously and conflicting with one another”. This is super evident if you talk with a teenager. They are often the most overly expressive and often can’t hide how they truly feel. Great models to practice with too. Ask a teen to give you a look of how they feel when mom says to clean your room vs a look on how you flirt with a boy at school. They know the difference inherently well!!
This will be your chance to practice and document the subtleties and define which looks work for each expression of self, connected to your chosen path.
PLAY TIME
Now for the fun part! Have you ever done mirror work? getting to know yourself more deeply by staring intently at your reflection? Yep thats what we will do here. Grab your camera and find the flattering light and start documenting your emotions. More details and specifics in Feelings Wheel.
HAIR & MAKEUP
You’ve dialed in your expression and are confident of what your face is capable of. you have a collection of images that represent each feeling that you can use for your photos. Now the next step of the adornment process is how you actually style your face and hair to bring it to life. This does not have to be pretty, stylized or perfect. It does have to be intentional, specific and in line with all the other elements to continue reinforcing the why and what you want your audience to receive.
Once you get this practice dialed in, there are ways to create specific contrast to get more attention to the story that you are creating, but this is considered “breaking the rules”, which ultimately you have to understand and know the rules before you should break them.
PLAY TIME
The character is defined, the scene is set and now we round out the final details. In this exercise, you will find images that fit the persona that you’ve defined and gather images to create right look.
POSING
The power and purpose can be expressed simply in how you hold your hands. In this pillar you will gain ways to articulate your posture and limbs so that you can express with your whole body. I personally have a dance background and capitalize on this skillset as part of my inherent knowing. This practice of self expression is a combination of practice and repetition.
One of my favorite rules of photography; “If it feels uncomfortable, it probably looks amazing”. how the brain interprets things as flattering is very different to how the limbs of your body perceive them. In this pillar you will learn some tricks of the trade that can help you relax and trust the discomfort. Sounds crazy, but I promise it works!
We will focus on getting comfortable in your body and how you use your parts both solo and in conjunction with objects and scenarios to further deepen the context of the images you create. Ease in how you stand, move and interact with the world.
PLAY TIME
Youtube is filled with ‘how to’s’ for all the body types. First you start with the overview of the basic rules of posing the form.
For this exercise, you get to create your own posing guide. Your unique how to guide on using each part of your body with specific reasons of why this works and why this doesn’t.
WARDROBE
Rounding it out, we finish the process of adornment with the final details. What you where has a language all its own. There are a host of pros that I work with the start with that work exclusive on this outside layer.
Defining the color palette for your skin type, then move in to the right textures and then fabrics and then the actual outfit selections, which is easier with all of these details defined. It’s all a continual build and if you follow the process in order the last little details, like which belt to where, are super simple!
PLAY TIME
“What do i wear”? Its where most people get stuck. Depending on what you are creating, wardrobe might not even be a factor as your nude form can be far more expressive. Start with the guide of what your wardrobe says. Use this as a reference to start creating your own wardrobe guide. Collect images and start applying to your template.
COMING UP
We start with the inside, the why and your intention. Then we move to the relationship, the dance with light, the way the photograph is seen and felt. Next we clarify the finite details, putting together the context connecting the inside to the outside visible world. Now we move on to putting it all in one place. The finale where we bring YOUR STORY all together with cohesion and clarity.
PILLARS OF PLAY
