Work Diary - Mapplethorpe Studio

Evaluation:

During this shoot in the studio I tried to replicate the way Robert Mapplethorpe used tone and shadow to show off his subject. I enjoyed coming up with ideas like Mapplethorpe's work. For example I got images with subjects holding a knife, someone tied up and people looking dead and lifeless.

Not quite the menace I was hoping for but I was trying to replicate the tone and shadow of the original image. Even though this is no were near as menacing as the image Mapplethorpe did this is still fairly menacing and still would create a little bit of controversy between some partys of people.

I like the almost mannequin feeling to this shot and the feeling on the subjects face is uncomfortable and slightly manic. Which appeared in some of Mapplethorpe's work. This type of expression can be seen in many of MApplethorpes works.

Progression:

If I were to continue this I would try and use more exaggerated lighting from extreme angles with greater contrast.  Mapplethorpe appeared to do all this particularly in his Black and White work.
I would like to get some body builders in the studio and try and light them as Mapplethorpe did. Mapplethorpe had a very controversial type of taking photos which i have decided to take in to controversial and have already taken some more interesting shots that are also controversial. He liked images that lend themselves to contrast and he lit from angles that showed off the body.

Herre we see a rather menacing image of Mapplethorpe with a knife which make him look more like he is in a gang of some sorts. I like this image because to shows that Mapplethorpe isn't afraid to show people what he thinks of himself.

Here we see Mapplethorpe in front of an inverted pentagram which is the main sign used in worshiping satan and is seen as a symbol of satanic cults. We also see that he is holding a Thomapson submachine gun with a circular clip. This image implies that he is going to go out and kill lots of people in the name of satan. This would have defiantly been seen as being controversial because during American in this time we know that most of the population is Christian and have very strong views on stuff like this.