Gemma Louise Williams is a makeup artist who works with photographers such as Alistair Campbell to produce gothic/steampunk looking portrait shots which are inspired by Tim Burton's style. The makeup in these photographs is a mix of dull colours and bright colours. The style in these photographs are gothic and dark but at the same time they are lighthearted with colours and patterns. She also mainly uses locations which match the character that she is photographing or sometimes sh uses a plain background.
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This photograph is one of my favourites as the makeup artist and photographer worked together to create an alternative/ steampunk but still vibrant image. Because the model has red hair, the main colour focus is red with the red scarf around her neck but there is a small amount of blue in the hair piece. The eyebrows don't match the hair and they are dark which matches the models makeup which is dark eyeliner with patterns under the eyes which, inspired by playing cards which is a typical Tim Burton style character such as the Queen of Hearts. The fact that there is a contrast between bright and dull colours makes this an ideal style that I want to work in as it is dull and gothic but at the same time it is vibrant and lighthearted. The lighting in the photograph also look the model look very pale and almost with a grey tinge which contrasts with the dark eyes, makeup and background with the main focus being the colour which transforms the photograph from being completely dark and gothic to quite playful and fantasised.
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This image is another one of my favourites as it captures the dark but playful style inspired by Tim Burton that I want to portray in my own photographs. The makeup in this image reminds me of Beetlejuice due to the stripes painted onto the neck, the hat and the makeup. All of these put together make the image look quirky which is an aspect of distortion that I want to incorporate into my own images. The colours in this photograph are neutral, however the image is made vibrant with patches of green on the face, green eyebrows and background. The models eyes are also light as is her hair to keep the focus on the colours. This gives the photograph a kind of 'Mad Hatter' vibe with the bowler hat, quirky eyebrows and makeup. The model in this photograph also looks quite pale with a grey tinge due to the lighting used. This also another effect that adds to the quirkiness of the style that I want to recreate in my own images.
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Rebeca Saray is a self-taught photographer who inspires her work by fashion, music, tattoos and horror. A lot of her shoots are fine art, lifestyle and portrait photography and she also incorporates fantasy and surrealism within the images. She also uses elements of the Victorian era which is a typical theme in 'steampunk' photography whilst using gothic and industrial styles.
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This image by Rebeca Saray is one of my favourites as I like the use of old style accessories such as the goggles and helmet that almost looks as though the model was at war. I like the use of very dull colours as this adds to the effect of the 'steampunk/gothic' look. These are things that I want to incorporate into my own work as the images look as though they have gone back in time into another era. Another aspect of the image that I like is that it looks as though the model has taken off the goggles which have left a dirt mark around her eyes where the googles would have been which adds to the steampunk theme as the model looks as though she is tough. I also like how the model has been lit as Saray has kept the whole image dark but the emphasis is sill on the model.
The main focus of the image is that the model is looking directly at the camera which empowers her, which is something that I also want to add into my own photoshoots as I will have female models dressed up as different gothic and out of the ordinary characters, adding to my theme of distortion. |
This photograph is another one of my favourites as the model is also looking directly at the camera. Due to the model having a serious and cold facial expression empowers her even more. However, in my own images I want the characters unique therefore the models will look more fun and playful. I like the use of colour in this image as the outfit and hair compliment each other. Something different in this image is that the models makeup is more extravagant than in the other photograph. The black lipstick and eyeliner around the eyes stands out in the photograph as it contrasts against the models skin as she is pale.
This adds to the gothic/dull/steampunk theme as the whole image is quite dull except the skin, and even then the model is still lit dully with only half of her face directed towards the light. This produces shadows on the other side of the models face which is achieved by split lighting which can make a model look more sinister and serious. |
To start creating steampunk/Tim Burton style portraits I duplicated the layer of the original image in case I made any mistakes and had to revert to the original.
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Secondly I adjusted the brightness and contrast as doing this beforehand would change the effect as I add more filters later on, meaning that I can achieve the desired effect straight away.
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