Connecting Essay 2

My Photo Pauline Darley

Pauline Darley has here photographed a beautiful skeleton look that goes across the whole face and down the neck. Though the makeup has been created to look like a skeleton there are still some glamorous and ‘pretty’ things about it. All the colours in the shot are harmonious and work well together (mostly being black or white with some grey). The pose of the model is strong and demanding, and this has been accentuated with the angle of the camera when this photo was taken (looking upwards at the subject makes them look ‘bigger’ and powerful). There is a simple plain background used in this photo as this allows the subject to remain the focal point.

In my photo, I have created and photographed a makeup look in which half the face is done up like a skeleton and half the face is done up in a more wearable yet dramatic glamorous look. The background is sterile and this has meant that there are no distractions in the photo that would detract from the subject. The camera is angled so that the model is looking up at it, this would normally makeup the subject look softer, and it partially has on the ‘prettier’ side of the makeup, though the intensity of the eyes and the strong makeup look has still made the subject look scary and dominant. All colours in the shot are relatively harmonious, except for the red seen in the blood, and this has accentuated a focal point and drawn attention to the photo.

There are lots of connections between these two photos, the one that is most accentuated is the theme within the photos of life and death, and almost a hint at a glamorous side to death. I think this has made the photos slightly controversial as typically one does not associate things glamorous and pretty with something that is used to represent death and gore, but this contrast has translated beautifully in the photos. Both the photos have used sterile backgrounds and

this has helped to prevent the problem of any distractions that could arise that would detract attention from the subjects. The photos see harmonious colours being used and this has added to the dark, evil feel of them –though in my photo there is the statement red colour from the blood present in the photo. The models have both been styled similarly in terms of their hair and this has allowed the makeup to be seen more clearly and again prevent any unwanted distractions (because these looks are so strong this was an important thing to remember). I really like how the two contrasting ideas of beauty and horror have been photographed and well it has photographed and translated into the shots.