Diverse Models - A Rarity

Daphne Selfe

Elderly model who says "Everyone can look lovely."

Charlotte Free

Feminist model who says "its ridiculous that women have to shave their armpits and legs every day. I don't have time."

Andrej Pejic

One of the worlds most androgynous models, a male model who models both mens and womenswear.

Tara Lynn

A plus sized model who says she is excited by the idea of young girls being more excepting of themselves because they've seen her in a magazine

THE RARITY

All of the above models are gorgeous beyond belief, but why aren't there more of them? It seems that the same models get all the diverse jobs or are being reused, rather than people scouting more of them to get the numbers up and I think that's disappointing.

I found this article about them very interesting and it helped me understand diversity from the models viewpoint Breaking the Mould

Ridiculous Standards and Why I Wont Use Post-Production

Everyone knows that we have ridiculous standards of beauty because of the images that are presented to us in the media, but I recently found this video that takes it to a whole other level. 

The extent that this video goes to to show the post production process is ridiculous. To make my shoot as real live and diverse as possible, I'm not going to use ANY post production on my shoot on the models skin, something that the All Walks campaign does too.

The above image is famous for showing the extent that brands go to to photoshop their models.

Initial Ideas!!

  

We have to do three shoots and I really want one of them to show age related eccentricity. I want another to show some sort of facial defect/birth mark or imperfection. I want the third to be male-based.

INITIAL IDEAS

SHOOT 1:

 Use an older model to show eccentricity in old age using the likes of Iris Apfel and Daphne Selfe for inspiration.

SHOOT 2:

Use some sort of facial deformity, birthmark or discolouration in a Black and White shoot to show that these marks can in fact look beautiful.

SHOOT 3:

Use a macho male model wearing makeup, using links to Berlin because this will be more taboo than seeing a camp male model in makeup. To help disregard gay stereotypes.

Above is my initial moodboard that will convey the overall tone of the three shoots. The mood centers around skin, age and gender issues as well as the my theory of "The Unicorn Factor."
I chose these images because I feel they represent the key points that I am trying to convey though my images.

Illamasqua I'mperfection Campaign

A recent campaign by Illamasqua was the I'm perfection campaign, which was meant to celebrate "what makes you perfectly imperfect." This meant birth marks and freckles.  Now I don't really understand this campaign. There are no products to enhance your perfect imperfections, in fact the only thing i the collection that really relates to it is nail varnish with a speckled effect to replicate freckles although it seems to be more known as a speckled egg replica than freckles. It just goes to show how hard it is to be truly diverse in this industry when even a brand such as Illamasqua has trouble with it.

The campaign images have inspired me though to recreate facial defects or enhance them with makeup for my shoot if I cant find a model who is perfect. It has also inspired me by showing other ways to replicate these.

The images show some diversity, even if the products dont necessarily match.

Helmut Newton's Diversity / Unicorn Factor Explained

I went to the library last week to look at the photography books to see if photographers followed the same conventions of non-diversity as brands do now when choosing their modes. Interestingly, while I was flicking though a large Helmut Newton book, I found these images:

 

 I adore the image above. It shows an elderly woman dressed up to the nines sitting alone in a bar. Her makeup is very reminiscent of Berlin in the 20s with her dark eyes, thin strait brows and small doll-like lips. But what I love about this photo is that she's completely going against the conventions of how to look like an elderly woman. Shes taken the time to make herself up and shes going to show it off! It's fabulous.

 I like this image because although the model is young, she is completely different to the rest f the models that Newton usually shoots. The image is still provocative bu the model is barefaced with her hair scraped back which gives it a sweeter coating. She has an engagement ring on but she is still posing provocatively, throwing away the conventions of the promised woman. Her face and body are full of freckles, something that usually would be seen as a flaw, but she is still glamorous and gorgeous. She is revealing her freckles, not hiding them. She is diverse and not ashamed of it.

 The above photo helped me illustrate my point when trying to explain "THE UNICORN FACTOR"

I have coined the term 'the unicorn factor' to explain my idea of truly beautiful diverse people - when somebody is physically diverse but completely confident and sees it as something that makes them unique and fabulous rather than an outcast.

The woman above for example. The photo is not particularly stunning. She looks sad, embarrassed and self conscious. She could be dressed and styled exactly the same way but if she held her head up and posed for the photo like she was the most stunning person in the world it would be beautiful! She would look more beautiful and her flaws would become individual trademarks. I thought this image was a good contrast to show the unicorn factor.

These images have also helped me decide o two of my shoots, an age based one and one based on facial flaws.