Farm Photographs 1

An immediately distinctive feature in these photos is the natural influence. The green offers a refreshing tone to the reflectful expression in my face. I like the way that the camera blurs out the branch in the foreground, as if peeking through the bushes to photograph the artist in his natural mindset. It presents it as less of a photoshoot and makes it seem unrehearsed. The dead leaves offer a poignant contrast to the liveliness of colour. It suggests that everything comes full circle as seasons change. Despite everything that occurs around nature; life, death and decay are all part of the cycle. 

I decided to change from the grey jumper to the black coat to define my figure more. As can be seen, the grey doesn't stand out as much as the black. The last shot is taken at a closer zoom in order to draw focus in towards the artist. It reduces the amount of natural spontaneity surrounding me and just captures the refreshing light green grass in the backdrop. 

The two photos above are heavily influenced by mise en scene. I took them at a mid-shot in order to frame the hay and wooden fence behind me as a way of establishing the rural nature of a farm untouched by industrial progression. As much as I find the background perfect, I don't think my body language conveys confidence. In planning my photographs I stated that I wanted to use the farm as a way of crediting the origins of my artist and country music. Therefore if this is expected to be a personal tribute to my artist's past, he should look confident in a melancholy remembrance. But the way that I am cradling my guitar conveys anxiety, which isn't the tone I want to set. 

To improve on those photographs, I decided to exclude the guitar from the frame. The logic behind this was that if the artist on the front cover is famous, the fans will already be familiar with their music and life, so the instrument would only undermine their expectation. 

Another experimental difference is the direct address used in a couple of the above shots. Many magazine covers use direct address as a way of connecting with the reader. However I think that if the convention is not presented in a subtle and innocent manner then the effect of the eye contact can become too intense. 
I definitely prefer the mise en scene in these photos, because it includes hay, wooden fences and the horses in the background, all of which denote a rural lifestyle. I particularly like the shots where I am looking sideways, because upon reflection I think that the photographs where I am looking downwards have negative connotations. 

These last four photos were taken in the same place, but from a different angle. This is so that I have a choice between the simplicity of the hay in the background and the energetic colour evoked from the natural hilltops. It can be noticed that I kept the horse with the red coat in the backdrop since it portrays a relationship between the artist and the level of respect he has for the animal kingdom. I think that this is a very important aspect of country music; the artist's appreciation of the simple things in life. 

Furthermore my body language and stance has me leaning against a fence, which suggests that I am relaxed and at ease with my surroundings. Primarily this helps to emphasise the impact that nature and rural lifestyles have on the country music industry. Out of all the photographs taken in this setting, those four give me the most embracive image. I do not look out of place or distracted, but entranced by the location. 

One final point is the collar zipped up or left undone to expose my white t-shirt. When the jumper is fully zipped it enhances the effect of the outside; a harsh, brisk wind.  This would allow audiences to empathise with the struggle that farmers had with the agriculture and sparse landscapes, especially in extremes of weather. 

Contrarily leaving the zip undone implies that the artist is used to being exposed and is no longer bothered by it. Therefore it can be interpreted as a way of establishing his comfort within the environment.