Learning Journal- PHOTOGRAPHY

week 1
Tuesday, 7 January

It was an interesting session with Paul. I found it quite unusual to come to the photography class. Nilgin called me a few days before that and her guess was that i'd go for photography, not journalism. But to be fair, I had no idea at that point. Despite any prejudices I'd always had about my own abilities to take pictures, I went for it.
So the class was full of enthusiasts and 'lost' eyes. To me, the whole idea we were introduced to, 'every day and the epic' was so so interesting. But the format was so new, that I went home completely lost.

Friday, 10 January

We received a reminder we'd be blogging/instagramming/takings 'every day' pictures so that the best ones would be selected to be featured at i-D online. So, in a way i felt I had to start doing something..
That weekend I had been taking pics of myself, the details of my life, my sketches, people who I partied with.

One picture was selected though

week 2
Tuesday, 7 January

We had a more detailed introduction to the theme of our assessment. I really loved the session, as we were given references and ideas about the everyday and the epic. The idea can be epic and the format(as in, size for instance) and the styling can be epic, and so on. I remember Paul saying 'for some epic can be even a party'.

On the first lecture, we actually saw some documentary photography.

 I loved in particular, Juergen Teller's style. I mean I've always loved his style. And to me, a documentary photography, at least 'style' of lense and flash, etc.. everything can seem easier to a person like me, who doesn't have a camera. So i'd make a staged authentic looking photo shoot, that's what i thought...

Juergen Teller

We also were asked to take 'epic' pictures. But I gave up as I wanted to clarify to myself what I wanted to do. And it still was a bit complicated to understand how and what I would do.

week 3
Friday, 17 January

We went to V&A. I didn't go earlier as I did see the Club to Catwalk exhibition in september, so I went at noon. We checked the printing place, and saw a selection of original pictures from different times.

week 4
Tuesday, 29 January

I had a presentation ready for the day, wanted to explain my concept.
So far, I knew few things:
I wanted to be a photographer and a stylist for my project. Because that'd be a chance to learn/ practise doing that.
I knew I'd have my friend's camera for that.
The closest to the theme of epic that I had time and inspiration to think about (too many essays and work altogether, it was a very stressful time for me) was parties. and rock' n' roll. Because I know a lot of music industry people so I started negotiating with them, and got some saying 'yes' and that day I came with a presentation and a few works I'd find inspiring to that theme.
The epic, to me, would be how to some rock'n'roll and musicians are epic, but I wanted to show the every day. From backstage to a staged afterparty with models. I'd style it in a 70's vibe, so it'd look more interesting. and use filters.

Similar shoots

+ there'd be the band members

However, the idea didn't seem clear to Paul, and I got asked questions that I couldn't answer myself. I could see, that probably my understanding of epic is something not everyone'd be excited about. So it made me think harder on the idea.

Week 5, 6, 7

These weeks I was struggling between researching on any other subjects I loved.. and making this idea work still. By the 7th week I realised I had no more time left, especially with the fact that the band members went on tour or delayed confirming times.. And I didn't feel as inspired to do it anymore.

Plus, the magazines I pitched it to , never got back to me on that. So I felt more or less sure I'd think of something else and really quickly..

Week 8

Monday, 24 February

I agreed to shoot the editorial on friday with a model I love. Asked my friend who photographs to assist me with the flash, etc. And contacted the designers.

Actually, I noticed a trend nowadays, and came across so many things following that idea, that I thought a real hand-made collage is something i'd wanna try and do with the photographs. That way, being unconfident about the results of my first ever photographs taken with a model, I made sure I can actually do something with that either way. Because I used to do fine arts, and I like drawing and painting. 

References and mood

The pictures above are both classic and contemporary, plus Picasso.

I thought it is very interesting how you can play with these things and paint, and use glitter, and materials.. something i'd have to ask to do in photoshop.

But i wanted to create a crazy world in my photo shoot.. 

I also got inspired by Mighty Boosh and Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy outfits, works of Alexandra Moon-age, psychedelic posters of the 70's, Hannah Hoch.

I also loved the Connan Mockassin's costumes in Forever Dolphin Love video..

I was thinking of repeating the effect in post production (hand painting over the photos)

But we managed to do the Picasso-effect (how i called it) in make up..

Here's a call sheet..

Friday, 28 February

We had a lovely shoot, and I amazed myself. I started doubting if i wanted to collage it, because it looked so cool. I was so happy and proud of myself.. It's definitely easier to take pictures yourself sometimes. as a stylist, i've always had these thoughts but been afraid to develop them.

However, the next day I started thinking, selecting pics, editing, and thinking of collage ideas.

Week 9

Tuesday, 4 March

I already had some shots hand-collaged.. I felt so inspired and interested. Still, if you already have some works, it takes a while to think of stuff that'd go along with them in an editorial. 

So that's what I am currently doing and it's almost ready.

Learning journal. Fashion Media Laboratory

From March 03 to March 14,
it's been a time when me and Olya have been constantly in touch regarding the photographs, edited ones and the music, as well.
We have experienced a couple of difficulties. The photographer delayed the results and as much as we tried to push it, it wasn't possible, due to her business. So we had to wait.
meanwhile, Olya's been working on developing the web-site.
I have not been in touch with Poon, however, we did discuss a few things briefly regarding his film.
Syd (the music) has been in touch with me regarding all the sound aspects, and I continued working with him..

Olya has planned to finish the web-site today. And I hope Syd'll be able to produce the last tune in time.
Apparently we're doing well , all in all.

Learning journal: Fashion Media Laboratory. TERM2

February 24

I made an appointment with my friend Syd, he was waiting for us at the studio at 2 PM. Olya, Poon and me got there, and everyone was surprised it's the actual recording of each instrument and not just a fake midi keyboard pre-recorded sound that we were planning to do. I was glad to see the excitement of Poon and Olya.
Moreover, I told Syd about the project ages ago, and he got really interested in that idea. Therefore, it seemed so amazing we all were excited to be a part of that project.
He recorded a test for one frame/image, and he booked Thursday, 27th the finish with all the music pieces.

February 26

We had a class with Thomas, which was more of a tutorial session. The progress was on and he was very helpful in terms of clarifying the technical aspects. I felt calm, because it is Olya's responsibility and she is very stubborn to learn and achieve a good level of a product.

February 28

As Olya scheduled to work more on a web-site, and the content, it was worrying that I received her message saying that Coco(photographer) didn't send the final images, as we scheduled with her, moreover, she was in Paris.

So I tried to cheer the team up, saying we still have time.
Syd sent all the sound, and he waited for Poon's video edit to make a music for that.

I promised to email Coco, as well, I will do it right now, and see what she says on Monday

March 2
I have completed the "About" text on the web-site.
And I am looking forward to hear from the photographer. Hope we receive the pictures by Wednesday..

Learning journal: Fashion Media Laboratory. TERM2

My learning activities during the Term 2 kept me really busy working on two written pieces for Fashion Media Laboratory, attending additional technical workshops and most importantly, producing our "Synesthesia" project, a digital web-site..

January 8
I already knew i'd be in team with Olya and Poon and was really excited about it.
We had to wait till Olya arrives so we can collect our thoughts and come up with some innovative idea for a web-site or an application. To me, it was a bit too many things going on straight after a break. However, looking back it seems very nice we had this wave of university responsibilities going on.
Though, to me, it is a huge challenge to work with digital content, as I am not so capable of developing internet projects, as in, write codes, etc.

January 15
Olya already arrived and we had a few ideas and also some time to narrow them down to just one.
Thomas helped us by explaining the roles that exist within these kind of projects so we could start thinking of what each of us can bring to the table.

January 22
As we went with Olya's initial idea about "Synesthesia" it was not so clear to some of us of what we'd be doing. Olya was an art-director and she said she'd be doing styling, asked me to. I couldn't force myself towards trying and captivating that part of the production, although it's basically the only thing i can do, except for art directing, and i couldn't because it was her idea.
Poon also felt lost with his responsibilities, and we then gave up trying to find a role we aren't interested in. Because it seems a waste of time if I take part in it and I don't care about it. The idea was so good that it'd've been a shame to lose it by doing something you don't wanna be credited for.
I told Olya that that'll do nothing to my portfolio if I'd be a producer, I'd not mention it neither on my web-site nor anywhere else, if it's nothing to do with my personal growth. Of course, I'd do it, it's a brief, but that'd be a shame. So in the end, I ended up being a producer and a fashion director, and ultimately a stylist.

January 25
I got in touch with all the brands we wanted to work with, found emails, telephone numbers. But my past good experiences with Fred Perry helped me to get the brand interested in our brief. I am really proud of it.
And we also continued meeting with Olya and Poon every week. It's great Olya has been so supportive, despite the fact we had to bring our ideas into her original idea and sometimes change her mind.
I was not really scared about not getting the clothes, the studio, models for our shoot. That's what producer does, and that's what I do when i push my own ideas.. but the closer it was getting to the deadline, the more nerve-wrecking it was becoming..


February 5
I could not attend, because I had a photo shoot on my own (had 3 throughout that month) and had to skip unfortunately. But meanwhile, i saw a busy time 'off school coming the week after and I aimed to finish two essays, one for contextual studies and one for FML, so everything was very busy.
However, I managed to collect samples of Fred Perry and ask for more to come, when we noticed a lack of necessary colours..
I also booked a studio, we had to move the date, due to a tight budget, and because the studio was the only option we could afford. So instead of shooting on 13th of February, we had to reschedule to February, 20.

February 12

We had a great and exciting workshop with Thomas that helped me a lot with InDesign and Unity. It started to really get interesting because before that I was still a bit lost.

February 19

By the time of the class, I already had 4 models confirmed. Despite the fact, 2 had to be changed last minute, the day after we had a shoot anyway and we had to be ready. I had a studio and 3 heavy bags of Fred Perry at home.
We gave a presentation on what we have so far.
Income of the session was really positive, as Thomas's idea to have a tune for each picture. and so when we'd hover over the particular colour, it'd produce sound from that tune but stripped down to one instrument.
I really thought it was a great idea and especially that Olya felt worried that we have Fred Perry, who are very specific in their brand identity and might dislike our original idea of the simple sound. We thought of something more rock, would fit the web-site.

Then we discussed it, and I suggested my help with sound, as my friend has a studio and records music professionally, so we are settled to go there on Monday.

After the class we went to my place and checked the clothes, we thought of how the garments can work together for our idea..Guys were kind enough to take two of the bags and bring the next day

February, 20
The morning started early. At 6 AM.
Despite the fact there was a long way, it's a studio in Custom House, DLR line, I was doing well and would have arrived on time.
I am a producer and it's important. And all the call-sheets would give my contact to all the agents of the models and everyone else.
The booked make up artist came on time, and Olya as well.. The models were late more or less.. But I had to stay at home to wait for emails of the agents, because they called me last minute saying some of the models couldn't come..
So we had to change them..
One model then texted me saying he'd wait for an off-peak time because it was very expensive for him. So I suggested paying his trip, if it'd make him come earlier.
In the end, by the time I arrived, everyone was in the studio except for our photographer, Coco.
She is very good and I was excited to see how she works. She told us she'd want it very neutral and clean, in everything. And all the team ended up working under her control, I had to apologise to the MUA, because she had to re-do it a lot of times, and then the photographer ended up rearranging everything. And styling me and Olya did, also had the same thing. However, she was polite and apologised saying that's the way she works and stuff like that.
To me, that was a great shoot, however, I had to give up at least 30% of my vision to satisfy the photographer. So I was quite flexible to save nerves.

But everyone was so supportive, our team was so nice, and hardworking. At this stage I am really glad about how it's come out.

BURBERRY VS CHAVS- CALL FOR HELP

Today the brand is far from what it was back in the 00's, and its' beginning, when the company faced a huge crisis. The need to rebrand Burberry brought the new team of great professionals, including Christopher Bailey and Angela Ahrendts (retired to go to Apple last year). But how the brand was changed significantly can be proved by the sources such as LCF library, that provided me with a DVD of a BBC documentary on a problem of Burberry vs chavs.



source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4381140.stm


For a top luxury fashion company like Burberry it is the ultimate nightmare.
Their distinctive beige check, once associated with A-listers, has now become the uniform of a rather different social group: the so-called Chav.
With UK sales falling, Burberry cannot afford to become a laughing stock in their own backyard.
But just how does a top designer label shrug off a damaged image?
Only five years ago, Burberry was the darling of the fashion world after undergoing one of the most envied brand reinventions of recent years.
"It really tapped into a sense of the early years of the millennia," says Andrea Cockram of Verdict Research.
But all too quickly, the brand became a victim of its own success.
Label-conscious football hooligans started to adopt the distinctive check.
"It was associated with people who did bad stuff, who went wild on the terraces," says Peter York.
"Quite a lot of people thought that Burberry would be worn by the person who mugged them."

Welsh rap band, Goldie Lookin' Chain were given a Vauxhall Cavalier with a distinctive Burberry check paint job.
Nicknamed the "Chavalier", the car was being auctioned off on EBay until Burberry's lawyers got in touch demanding that the car be destroyed for infringing their copyright.

Burberry is moving away from its traditional check

It was not only the car that was crushed, says band member Eggsy.
"I cried when they said you've got to destroy the car. What's next? Taking Rupert the Bear to court for having trousers that looked like Burberrys?"
There was more bad news earlier this year. Kate Moss, whose recent high-profile campaigns to promote the brand made her into the face of Burberry, is now facing tabloid allegations of drug-taking.
UK phenomenon
Burberry's Chief Executive Rose Marie Bravo is stepping down next year in favour of fellow American Angela Ahrendts, and the Chavs issue is likely to be near the top of her in-tray.
But there is reason for hope.
Most of Burberry's sales are overseas, so although sales in the UK have been sliding, international profits for last year reached over £160m.
Ms Ahrendts must be hoping that Chavs don't become a global phenomenon.

---

The Money Programme - Burberry versus The Chavs: broadcast on BBC TWO at 7pm on Friday 28 October.

Musicians Burberry fashion film

The idea of a rock concert and music is well depicted in the series of the videos.
As Bailey would say to WWD, Brit is the brand's line that they want to associate with music

Christopher Bailey's playlist

The CEO of the brand gave an idea of what songs he likes and the ones he associates with the brand.

https://play.spotify.com/user/guardianmusic/playlist/6eUSlXi2RtygX04xuskEtx