Project Diary

28/01/2025

For this project, I want to experiment with cinematic photography since I've never really done it before. My usual style is more focused on smaller, pre-planned shoots where I experiment and then edit the results. This time, I really want to plan and lay out the shoot to create more of a magical memory. I plan to incorporate three storylines that will be showcased throughout the exhibit.

04/02/2025

Today's mission is to find cinematic bras online and edit them in a cinematic manner. The reason for this is that when I go to do my shoot, I want to know the sort of editing techniques that I may need when it comes to editing my final images. This will help me prepare better for the shoot and ensure I achieve the cinematic look I'm aiming for.

I've used Lightroom presets and watched YouTube videos to learn about the best techniques for this kind of project. I'm really focused on the process of planning and the editing side of things. It's important for me to understand how to effectively execute both aspects to achieve the desired cinematic effect in my final images.

So, after watching the YouTube video, I learned that cinematic photography isn't just about editing; it's really about storytelling. You can edit an image to look cinematic, and it will certainly look amazing. But if there's a storyline behind the image as well, it enhances the overall effect for both the viewer and myself. This storytelling aspect adds depth and makes the images more engaging.

12/02/2025

So today, I went to Live in Hall Park to frame images that would fit into a cinematic style because there's a big, gorgeous house and beautiful cars, plus the park is massive, so it's perfect for experimentation. I came home and edited two images in a cinematic manner, and I think the results are really good.

You could link it to a storyline if you wanted to, like living in a massive sports car. I focused on the framing and sizes of the images, shooting in a landscape crop to fit a cinematic screen. It's like pressing pause on a film or something. It's quite nice to have that ability both in the camera and within myself while going out for the day to do it, and I'm pretty happy with the results.

18/02/2025

My plan is to showcase three different storylines, and over the next few days, I'll be focusing on planning those ideas. The first idea is wedding-based, and it's going to be shot in Manchester.

I'm going to find a model, a wedding dress, and set up this shoot. The thing is, I don't want to impose a storyline on anyone; I want them to create their own narrative while looking at the images. I want them to experience it firsthand without any input or words from me.

There won't be a backstory for the person involved in the shoot—it's more about creating a playful experience. I want people to walk away from the images feeling a sense of emotion, rather than knowing the exact storyline. From there, I'll design a storyline that fits into the three images that will be displayed in the exhibition.

1. Lost in Lace: A girl in a wedding dress, set in Manchester. The baseline idea is that she has been left on her wedding date and embarks on a wild night out, capturing the emotions of heartbreak and spontaneity.

2. The Band's Journey: This storyline follows a band in Manchester, documenting their experiences from a heavy metal concert to their journey of struggles and triumphs that have led them to their current success.

I have already spoken to a band that I know personally who are up for doing it. And they want me to follow them at one of their gigs in manchester. I love this idea due to the fact that it kind of brings the storyline straight to life. It's a true storyline that I'm playing with. It's not pretend it's not made up, and it's interesting to me. 

3. Train Station Farewell: The final storyline revolves around a person left at a train station after a breakup, exploring themes of loss, reflection, and the emotional weight of goodbyes.

22/02/2024

Today days mission is to plan out the shoots that I plan to do in Manchester. The lost in lace storyline. The storyline is strong due to the fat and the wedding dress and putting it in such a unique environment in the middle of the city at night in manchester, with a flash gun and a camera to experiments and go to different venues to see what sort of results will gain from this.

1. Planning Phase:

   - Objective: Create a cinematic feel for "Lost in Lace" by shooting late at night to capture the city lights and the busy streets of Manchester.

   - Location - in manchester, later than nine pm with the city streets walking around the main high street of bars and venues. 

   - Venue Accessibility:  one of our concerns when it comes to do in this shoe is will venues, allow us to come in and take pictures. 

2. Shoot Details:

   - Date: March 6th (Thursday night)

   - Model: Maddie

   - Backup Plan: In case venues are inaccessible, the plan is to shoot on the city streets in three key locations:

     - Deansgate

     - Deansgate Locks

     - City Center (main busy strip)

I've really gone into detail about where I want to shoot it. So, I've looked on Google Maps and seen out certain parts of the city that I want to use. The reason for this is when it comes to shoes in something like this normally it's freestyle, but for me, I really wanted to plan out how I wanted to perform in this project.

The reason why I have chosen Manchester due to the fact that it is a busy city. It's a city that never sleeps the fact that I can drive makes it so much easier to invent and be on location. That's also a very important thing to me. I didn't want to planal set in the studio I wanted to shoot everything on location in the north west of england it's really pull at people's emotions.

Planning

07/03/2025

Last night was a fantastic experience as we kicked off our shoot in Manchester at 8:00 p.m. Maddy arrived with a stunning wedding dress she ordered from Shein, which perfectly fit our storyline of her getting dumped on her wedding day. I wanted to ensure the shoot felt authentic, and I think we achieved that.

We visited nine different venues and captured over 700 raw photos, all meticulously planned out using manual settings. The fact that many venues allowed us in added to the excitement and made the entire experience even more rewarding. It was a great opportunity for me to build my confidence with the camera and engage with new people, which I genuinely enjoy.

Having backup plans in place was crucial, and I’m glad I took the time to prepare. Overall, this shoot was not only successful but also a lot of fun, especially since it was a project I had planned so thoroughly.