Georgetown Cupcake Final Project

Project Inspiration: 7-Up Advertising Photo 
Use of color, angles, and subjects to convey the fresh and cool product
Source: dennisdavisphotography.com

A Box of Treats
The establishing shot that presents the subjects.  Capitalizes on color and angled lines. 

A Peek Into The Box
Uses depth of field, presenting the sticker visual on the box but also highlighting the appeal of the product in the background. 

Sparkling Mitten
Focuses on one of the subjects.  The photographer worked a lot with lighting here, trying to make dramatic shadows while also highlighting the mitten on top.  Many are drawn to Georgetown Cupcakes because of the shapes on top. 

A Holiday Surprise
The seasonal mitten cupcake is surrounded by a green garland.  This plays into Georgetown Cupcake's use of color by including contrast, but also its relevance to the holiday season.  By using Christmas colors, the brand portrays joy and the idea of giving. 

Lemon
Playing with light again, the photographer wanted to tie her piece back to the inspirational photo of 7-Up.  This picture is darker, but the highlights on the lemon candy as well as the paper fringe make the product appealing. 

Sprinkle Fun
The top half of the photo proves Georgetown Cupcake's dedication for fun and play, while the bottom reveals a standard cupcake.  This juxtaposition of playful and simple makes this photo successful.   

A Big Bite
This photo gives the viewer an inside look of a Georgetown Cupcake.  It focuses on the texture of the airy frosting and light cake.  You can still see the cute sprinkles, but this photo is really selling the delicious product underneath.  

A Forest of Treats
Although it focuses on one cupcake, this photo successfully uses depth of field and the rule of thirds.  

Chocolate Lava
Using a great contrast between white and dark, the distinct highlights within the chocolate lava frosting make this cupcake beautiful.

Georgetown Cupcake Photo Shoot Production Journal 

Pre-production:

Since its opening in 2008, the Georgetown Cupcake enterprise has taken America by a storm.  The business model is simple: establish a welcoming, visually appealing environment from which to sell adorable and delicious treats.  Cupcakes are not anything new, but it somehow this particular company has people lining up around the block for a taste.  

What makes these brand name cupcakes so appealing?  Although the product is admittedly delicious, the visual components associated with the company also help sales.  Walking into the store, everything is bright and welcoming.  The walls are white, with accents of Georgetown Cupcake’s baby pink.  Symbols, apparel, and room design all add to the visual appeal.  The room demonstrates class and hospitality, and every time a customer walks out with a designed Georgetown Cupcake bag, they are bringing these ideals home with them.  The cupcakes themselves are also bright and fun, often with colorful adornments on top. 

The following photo essay explores this brand’s fundamental visual appeal.  The artist sought to highlight the colors, shapes, and textures associated with the product.  Because Georgetown Cupcake uses visuals to sell their product, the photo essay was inspired by advertisement photography.  Lighting, location, and mood all contribute to a photo’s appeal.  An example of great advertising photography is Dennis Davis’ advertisement for 7-Up.  The product, which is advertised as a crisp and refreshing drink, is colorful and surrounded by ice and lemons.  The lighting, colors, background, and mood make this photograph successful.  For this assignment, the visuals in each photo need to make the viewer want to buy a Georgetown Cupcake.  

There was little preparation involved in this production process.  Six cupcakes were selected that represented Georgetown Cupcake’s whimsical nature.  The only difficulty involved in the pre-production process was protecting the cupcakes from a hungry photographer and her roommates. 

Production: 

Georgetown Cupcakes represent the brand’s visual niche, so the production process was simple.  For an hour, the photographer arranged the treats in several positions and shot at various angles with her Canon PowerShot 1300 IS.  For a supplementary lighting source, a L.E.D. headlamp was used.  This was helpful to create highlights and shadows.  The cupcake photo shoot happened inside on a simple metallic table.  This surface was appropriate because it was similar to kitchen or chef tables, and the headlamp and ceiling lighting sources could help make a reflective sheen.  During this time, 66 photos were taken.  

Although there were few technical problems, it was difficult to keep each photo varied and interesting.  Cupcakes can do little to change their look, so it was up to the photographer to adjust the angles, texture, and lighting to put together a group of great photos that don’t get repetitive.  Beyond camera adjustments, outside objects were also included, such as sunglasses and necklaces, to add visual interest (not all of these experiments are demonstrated in the final product). 

Post-Production:

The collection of photos below successfully display the visual appeal of Georgetown Cupcakes.  Highlighting colors, symbols, and designs, each photo is compositionally interesting, but also points to a greater thesis.  

Originally, the production design included taking pictures of the store itself, looking at baking pans, colorful frosting, welcoming staff, and pink boxes.  Although the photographer was identified as a student, the staff was still unable to grant access behind the register.  This significantly limited what subjects could be included in the production, and the photographer had to get creative.  This made the final result different from the original idea, but the photo essay is still successful.  

For similar productions in the future, the photographer may want to drastically change her photos.  Because she limited herself to the same background surface and the same six subjects, it was very difficult to determine one image better than the other.  With 66 photos to edit, choosing a smaller final collection was a challenge.  This could have been circumvented if backgrounds, angles, and lighting were very different. 

To conclude, the Georgetown Cupcake enterprise consists of stores, a television show, commercials, a ship-anywhere promise, and thousands of fans.  Although the cupcakes are delicious, the visuals associated with the product make it so famous.  Through the following photo essay that explores these visuals, the photographer has become independent in the production process, learning how to prepare for, execute, and edit a photo shoot. 

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens captures and explores the complexities of becoming a professional photographer.  On one hand, a photographer is expected to observe and blend into environments.  On the other, however, photographers are still humans who are expected to life fulfilling lives on an interpersonal level.  Annie Leibovitz is a clear example of a photographer who has mastered this sensitive balance.
In an intimate testimonial in the movie, Leibovitz explained where her love for travel and photography came from.  She came from a military family who was constantly driving and moving between Air Force Bases.  As her and her siblings looked out at the world through the car window, their perspective was always framed.  "We lived our world in a ready made picture frame, the car window..."  Leibovitz didn't know it yet, but the unconsciousness of having her world framed may have caused her to live with such a technical and artistic eye.
As a wildly successful artist, Annie was described as almost translucent.  Many of her subjects testified that they almost forgot that she was in the room.  Although Visual Literacy teaches much about setting up a shot and conveying images successfully, the material fails to address a crucial step that Leibovitz masters: establishing a relationship with the subject.  She infiltrates an unknown setting by making friends and learning more about a life in front of the lens.  This helps tell her what to shoot while also making the subjects more comfortable.
Leibovitz's early shooting styles looked haphazard, but it was clear that the moment she got an assignment, she was setting up a shot.  This supports the emphasis on preparation and forethought that course lectures and Photo Idea Index place on photo shoots.  Whether it was in Rolling Stone and using subtle lighting techniques on her portable 35 mm, or it was going through worksheets to perfect a high-profile Vanity Fair cover, preparation was always required.
As she began to make a name for herself in the journalistic world, Annie was challenged to get the photo that nobody else would.  An example of this in the movie was when she was sent to cover Nixon's resignation after Watergate.  There were hundreds of photographers there to capture his final walk from the White House to the helicopter, but only she thought to shoot the guards rolling up the carpet, and the crowd walking home.  This example teaches a lesson to all aspiring photographers.  It didn't matter that she was there, it mattered what she shot.  She was required to think creatively and see the environment in a way that nobody else did.  The ability to be unique in this way makes a photographer employable and indispensable, two goals that are clear within the work of this Visual Literacy class.

YouTube Review

Although it might take some searching through the random webcam posts, YouTube stores many creative and compelling film clips.  These files use many of the techniques that are described in The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video.  The book serves as a solid introduction for those interested in making film clips and movies.  An example of a creative and technically interesting YouTube video is titled “Awkward Faces” by knowdat007.  The film shows a series of people who are asked to sit in front of the camera.  These subjects become extremely uncomfortable and make for a hilarious video.  There is no dialogue, there are no settings.  There is a solid background, and a face that says it all.  

Because there is little in front of the camera, one may asked why it is worth analyzing.  The simplicity of the shots and the vivid focus of the face makes this film compelling.  Anyone could have made this film, but the filmmaker uses music, lighting, and focus to make his piece beautiful.  

In every scene, there is bright light that accents the face.  Although the eye already goes to the face immediately, the artist wants to make his point clear, the face is all there is.  After reading Photo Idea Index, one might argue that a quartz light or diffused floodlight was placed on the various subjects.  After reading Bare Bones, however, it is clear that lighting can be captured in so many ways.  The videographer could have used a low ISO  film numbers that are more sensitive to light.  Also, they could have intentionally slightly overexposed by opening the aperture to f/2.  

Because of the nature of the film, there is little to say regarding composition and depth of field.  Each scene is consistently a blank background and a face.  The filmmaker is successful in keeping the background in the background, without any distracting elements.  That way, the viewer can focus completely on the face and how subtly it moves.  The simplicity of the videography plays into the film’s success.  Not much is going on, but there is so much to see.  The shot durations are long enough to show the subject get uncomfortable, but not too long that the viewer loses interest.  

If the filmmaker were to revise this piece, it could be interesting to see the camera pan across the eyes or the mouth, to add motion and more detail.  Although the film is interesting and striking, it gets quite predictable after several scenes.  The various camera angles and pans described in Bare Bones could add interest.  The still simplicity  of the camera adds beauty, though.  It is possible that change and motion would take away from the main idea.  

Group Project Reflection and Analysis

The Group:  

Although this assignment was not the first group project of the semester, it was definitely most intensive.  The task required that the work be delegated and the members of the groups work cooperatively.  This was not a strong suit for team bullshark.  Some members of the group failed to take this assignment seriously and cooperatively correspond with others.  Although group projects are inherently difficult, it was especially challenging to coordinate schedules and get everyone on the same page.  In future group projects, it will be important for the group to meet in the preproduction stage to distribute the work and set intermediate deadlines to ensure success.  

Despite this group’s cooperative challenges, shown through the pictures in the portfolio, the assignment was fulfilled well.  The photographers produced images that were appealing independently, but also worked within the portfolio.  The coloring and lighting techniques were similar.  There were some irregularities, but the group worked well with Photoshop to streamline the portfolio.  This grouping of photographs, as well as the Powerpoint it is presented on, depicts the word ‘chic’ successfully.  The subjects are different, but they are combined with photography techniques such as lighting, point of view, and color to portray the same word.  

Technical and Productive lessons were learned through this assignment.  Because the task involved photography, many of the group members set up controlled photo shoots.  Page 258 in Photo Idea Index helped with this, but creative ingenuity was also required.  If the subject was too bright, for example, one might be required to shoot in a dark dorm room with only a flash for lighting.  The ability to shoot both professionally and creatively is quite important in the communications industry, and this assignment helped provide those tools.  Productively, as mentioned above, team bullshark learned how not to run a group project.  The group members will work ahead in the next assignment to ensure that lines of communication are open from the pre to post production processes.  

The Photo: 

Above is a particularly successful photograph that was shot by a member of the bullshark team.  It works well within the portfolio in visually displaying the word chic, but also is interesting independently.  The item arrangement, colors, and lighting make this photo great.  

In this photo is a string of pearl beads, a cufflink, blush, and an eye makeup brush.  Although this scene would probably not be arranged naturally, all the items suggest glamour and class.  These attributes point to the word ‘chic’.  The arrangement is placed deliberately, following the rule of thirds by avoiding the center and following the nine divisive invisible lines (p. 82). Consistent with this rule, the contrasting line of the brush moves the eye from left to right, allowing the viewer to travel through the items (p. 102). 

When one thinks chic, they think classic, understated, and visually appealing.  Knowing this, the photographer made the decision to include colors that represented these words.  It would have been easy to avoid all color, but the blush pink adds interest to the image while maintaining the sense of classic glamour.  The business fabric backdrop (p. 52) and lack of bright color brings the image back to classic chic.  

Finally, the lighting in this image is quite chic.  Although the photographer could have made dramatic, dark shadowing either through backlighting or harsh, direct light, those shadows would not have been chic.  Instead, the lighting was diffused by other objects to achieve soft, elegant lighting with little shock (p.272).  The color is highlighted, and the cufflink is able to beautifully reflect the pearls.  Beyond this, however, ‘chic’ kept the photographer from taking dramatic risk with lighting.  

Photos That I Took For The Group Project

Picture At the Pulitzer Prize Gallery- At the Newseum

Final Salute: Newseum Blog Post

Todd Heisler’s great work as a photojournalist is represented in his collection of images, titled “Final Salute.”  These photos, taken for a news spread in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain News, were awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 2006.  For one year, Heisler followed those responsible for notifying families of fallen Marines, and also profiled funerals of those who passed.  These images remind the public of the cost of war.  One particular photograph, which is featured subtly in the Newseum in Washington, D.C., shows a picture of Marines sending a flag-covered casket on a commercial airplane.  Although the scene of men bowing over a fallen brother is already striking, Heisler used lighting, color, and lines to make the image award winning.  

When one looks at Heisler’s photograph, their eye immediately goes to the brightest point underneath the airplane.  This works to the photographer’s advantage because the bright light features the subject, the marines and casket.  Acting almost as a spotlight and a backlight, there are dramatic shadows that portray the emotional weight of the scene.  Despite these shadows, however, little is left to the imagination.  Heisler is giving people a firsthand account of the realities of war.  It seems that politics and the media cast enough ‘shadows’ on this issue, and dramatic dark shadowing would have reinforced that trend.  Given this, the subtle yet striking lighting in the bottom cabin was an appropriate choice that was consistent with the goals of “Final Salute.”  

It is appropriate to analyze the use of lines and color simultaneously in this image, because each line represents a change in color.  Beginning at the subject, one immediately recognizes the red and white stripes of the American flag.  Highlighted by the light, these colors instill patriotism and pride within the average American observer.  Jim Krause, in his book Photo Idea Index, encourages photographers to explore “colorization” while conveying emotion (Krause 146).  Although Krause suggests digital color tinting to achieve this, it seems that Heisler took advantage of the colors that existed naturally to instill and portray emotion.  The lines of the American flag point upward, drawing the eye upward toward the upper half of the image.  This introduces the viewer to another set of red and white lines on the airplane.  One would think that these lines intend to represent patriotism and pride as well, but in this image the two lines on the plane seem to divide the lives of soldiers and civilians.  The cabin windows show several passengers looking out the window, completely unaware of the cargo that is entering their plane.  The white and red lines on the airplane, which span across the entire image, symbolize the disconnect between civilians and soldiers in time of war.  Civilians (the passengers looking out the window) continue their lives in wartime, occasionally consuming the information available to them.  Meanwhile, soldiers (the men in the bottom of the airplane), continue serving those above and their country dutifully.  

Although Heisler’s photo is not featured prominently in D.C.’s Newseum Gallery of Pulitzer Prize Photographs, it commands the attention of all who walk through.  It’s use of lighting, color, and lines speak thousands of words regarding military sacrifice, political communication in times of war, and American values.  Few Americans lack an opinion about the military efforts that exist around the world.  This image is attractive to those who care about those who are fighting and who demand more answers.  Through his award winning collection of images, Heisler successfully takes the first step in blurring the thick white and red lines that divide civilians and the military.  

Chapter 6: Shock Advertising and Benetton

In Chapter 6 of the Visual Communications textbook, advertising, shock images, product placement, and credibility is discussed.  The author uses United Colors of Benetton, a clothing company that has tackled many tough social issues from drug epidemics to AIDS.  The company does claim to fundamentally care about these issues,  many argue that Benetton is using shocking images to sell their products.  A priest romantically kissing a nun, for example, is provocative.  This causes people to look at the image and talk about it to others.  The reaction that proceeds, whether it be positive or negative, creates attention.  Although the two people in the photograph are the dominant subject, viewers cannot help but notice a colorful brand to the side or in the corner.  Because viewers are naturally drawn to shocking images, they are also attracted to the Benetton brand as well. 

Benetton’s advertising strategy began widespread debate surrounding the ethics of advertising.  The company pushed “the line” so far that, many argue, that line disappeared.  Images that were printed onto magazine pages and plastered on billboards have little to do with Benetton’s products, they simply aim to present controversy and motivate conversation.  On one hand, this aim is commendable.  These unorthodox methods are exactly what the public needs to make change.  On the other hand, however, many argue that Benetton is taking advantage of shock imaging to sell completely unrelated products and get their name out there.  An AIDS victim has little to do with the latest turtleneck, yet Benetton plasters the disturbing images to sell that turtleneck.  Despite this possible confusion of interest, it is clear that AIDS is the bigger issue on the page, not Benetton.  The logo that the company includes on its shock advertisements is quite small, as to not take away from the emotional weight of the picture.  It is not Benetton that is motivating difficult conversation, it is the reality of the photographs.  Benetton did not create the environment where drugs, AIDS, and religion were causing problems.  The company is simply taking the first step in addressing tough issues.  The correlation between Benetton profit and attention and shock advertising is irrelevant.  The pictures that they print are making change, and the good that they do in the world is all that matters.  

Stocking Image

Original Photo:

Stock Photo:

Self Portrait Fun

Original Self Portrait

Self Portrait Retouched

Hue/Saturation

Desaturated

Business Card

Contact Sheet

Sept 14th Assignment: Analyzing Nail Polish

The images above were shot by a Canon point and shoot camera.  The glass bottle with rounded edges gave the photographer opportunity to explore linear, symmetrical, and reflection concepts that were outlined in Photo Idea Index by Jim Krause.  To highlight the lighting techniques used, the bottle of nail polish is placed on a black background.  Because photographic equipment, such as the quartz bulb described on page 258, was not readily available, a L.E.D. camping headlamp, a compact hand mirror, and a small piece of cardboard was used to create the highlights and shadows.  Of the many pictures that were taken of this bottle, these five seemed especially striking in terms of composition, texture, and cropping.

Picture #1: The image at the top was one of the early photos taken in the sequence.  The point of view seems standard, although there is some sense of a downward tilt.  A compelling aspect of the shot is the purposeful bad tangent between the top edge and the white brush.  The black 'triangles' that point to this tangent add rough, geometric angles to a picture that otherwise portrays a sense of roundness and harmony.  On page 62 of Krause's book, the reader is encouraged to explore transparent subjects.  Although the glass bottle is not completely transparent because of the paint, the glass bottom and right edge are highlighted well with lighting and the black background.  The light edges act as a frame around the paint color and the brand name.



Picture #2: This picture is an attempt at backlighting.  The L.E.D. lights seem particularly harsh, making the subject seem a bit abstract.  It is not completely clear that the image is that of a nail polish bottle.  On page 279, however, Krause presents three images that are backlit, and as a result, abstract.  The bright lighting in this image makes the paint color seem opaque, and almost nonexistent.  This image is effective and visually appealing because it initiates curiosity.

Picture #3: Because the subject is so smooth and reflective, it is compositionally interesting to add a more solid, textured, element to the image.  It is not clear what the braid is, but the dramatic lighting and bound rope somehow indicate struggle or distress.  The white lines of the brush top very deliberately stretch upward, while the white lines of the rope anchor the image across.  This tension, highlighted by the beam of light between the two, is compelling and seem to almost indicate action.




Picture #4: This photo is an example of an extreme close-up.  The visual texture created by the bottle's ridges and dried paint, and the color inconsistencies in the bottle itself, allows for imperfection in an otherwise smooth and consistent subject.  On page 192, Krause celebrates flaws by saying "Ugly Is Beautiful."  Although this photograph may not be qualified as ugly, it is still a compelling photograph because of the unexpected point of view.  Further, the composition of this photo is intriguing because of the cropped brush to the left and intentional empty space to the right.  The asymmetry challenges the eye to fill in the blanks and make sense of the image.

Assignment 1: Photo Idea Index Application

Photo Credit: Brigitte Lacombe, Photographer Vanity Fair Magazine, December 2010

In its December 2010 issue, Vanity Fair Magazine published in print and online an article about Italian millionaire Jean Pigozzi.  To preface this piece, a photo of Pigozzi is presented.  The caption explains that he is driving his 1963 SIMCA 1000 at his home in France.  Photographer Brigitte Lacombe could have easily shot a symmetrical, standard portrait.  She decided, however, to create an expressive, compositionally interesting, and colorful photo for the readers.  

When I saw this photo, I was struck by how Lacombe created a sense of environment in her picture.  Just from looking at the photograph, I can assume things about Pigozzi.  First, I guess that he is of means.  It takes a rich man to own a nice, blue car along a pebbled driveway.  Because of the foliage in the background, I assume that he lives in a warmer environment in a secluded area.  At the very least, he is able to build a landscape around his home that creates privacy.  In his book, Photo Idea Index, photographer Jim Krause stresses that every component of a photo, from the background to the subject, contributes to a story.  The components of this published photograph give me a sense of who Pigozzi is and where he comes from.  

On a more technical note, the composition of this photo is visually appealing.  Pigozzi, the subject of the shot, is framed by the open window of his car.  The eye follows the linear nature of the car door, which lead to Pigozzi's profile.  The point of view is tilted up slightly, perhaps suggesting the dominance of this multi-millionare, but it is at such a small angle that it doesn't distract the viewer.  The cropping is interesting because you cannot see the second half of the fancy car, but there is risk of what Krause calls a bad tangent between the left edge of the frame and the silver bumper.  

In addition to the composition, the wide range of colors keep the viewer interested.  The background has a fairly neutral value, except for the bright green leaves which you can see through the car window.  These leaves frame, and therefore highlight, Pigozzi's face.  The most striking color combination, however, is the value contrast between the blue car and Pigozzi's yellow jacket.  The odd harmony of the colors attract the eye to the subject.  Towards the bottom of the frame, there is a small triangle of yellow fabric coming out of the blue car door, adding humor to the story.  The photographer also uses lighting to highlight the reflection of the hubcap and the bumper, as well as create a dramatic shadow in front of the car.  

Based on the concepts outlined in Photo Idea Index,  it is clear that Lacombe’s photograph of Jean Pigozzi is visually appealing and tells a great story.  It is a fantastic introduction to his life before the article even begins.