The Square - Research

When I had thought of my final idea for this project, I decided to start researching photographers similar to the work I wanted to produce. I found a lot of photographers who have done projects or commissions in the cosmetic still life industry. I really admire cosmetics, the way they look on and as a product so this was the perfect project for me to do. Three of my favourite photographers I looked at were Rich Begany, Dennis Pederson and Megan Terry. They both use very interesting compositions as well shadows and great use of colour.

I have gone through a large selection of each of the three photographers cosmetic work and I have chosen my three favourite pieces from each.

Rich Begany

This first picture really jumped out at me as I love the composition and the way the product has been placed. The way the light shines onto the product really draws you to the reflection on the tube and the gold which makes you think of quality and wealth. Majority of the image is black or at least dark including the main red/pink lipstick head. The only thing which stands out entirely is the gold section making it a whole lot more luxurious.

This photo just like the one before is very dark which draws your attention to the products. I like how in his photos they tend to be mainly black and very dark but he includes 1 or 2 colours in main light. I really liked this piece as you can see a lot of detail within the powder.

The final piece I have chosen of Rich Begany's is this piece of the 4 mascara brushes. I really like the way this photo is composed as I think by having 2 up and 2 down it adds more depth and brings the entire photogrph together. I like how the sticks look like the mascara is dripping down it. The white silhouette makes it look very outstanding against the black background.

Dennis Pederson

This first photograph is probably one of my favourite cosmetic pieces I have come across all together. I love the way the shadow makes such a prominent line from the lipstick onwards. The shadow is what makes this piece as the white background is a bold contrast against it. The colours in the piece all compliment each other as there's nothing too abstract or weird when it comes to colouring.

This focuses a lot on the striking shapes and lines which add up to create the image. The mascara streak underneath the bottle obviously advertises wht the bottle contains. I personally really like the way the purple bottle stands out from the white as well as the black mascara.

The final image I chose of Dennis Pedersons is the Pantene bottles. I really like the shadowing which has been created from where lighting is placed. I like how the photo manages to capture the spray coming directly from the bottle as it points out what the product is from an avertising perspective but also makes the photo a bit louder when you look at it

Megan Terry

This photo is very textured which I think is very unique and definitely what makes this image. The colours in this photo are all very harmonious and work well together. I like how they're all lined up but not in a particular colour order, it's quite an abstract design but you can still tell what it is.

As I have repeated many times throughout my blog, I am a really big fan of lines, as this is the case I absolutely love this photo. It's so simple yet it's so effective. It's a very blunt photo in the sense that the lines of the brushes are exactly in place with a little strip of various colours on the tip of the brush. The colours are a major part of this image as the white background looks really pure against all of the fake product.

This last photo of Megan Terry's is a little different to the others as it's all quite dark and moody. Even though this is the case, it is extremely effective and moody. I really like how the light is confined and directly being sent to a specific area creating a strip of light.