Rankin

Why I chose Rankin: Rankin is one of the most notable beauty and celebrity photographers of the century. I chose to look at his work in greater depth to get an understanding on the work of a photographer which will be remembered as one of the greatest in years to come. Not only is his work extremely influential to what I aim to achieve in my photographs for my personal project, but he also includes a range of different styles in his shoots. He also has had his work feature in many advertising campaigns and he has shot covers for the biggest magazines on the planet, including Vogue and GQ. His work doesn't follow the stereotype of the beauty industry, with bold lighting techniques and his subtle props such as the flower and feathers hold a lot of connotations and meanings behind the image itself. Rankin also uses enhanced makeup with unique designs and accessories to enhance this such as gems and diamonds. 

Bio: Rankin has created landmark editorial and advertising campaigns. His body of work features some of the most celebrated publications, biggest brands and pioneering charities, including Nike, Swatch, Dove, Pantene, Diageo, Women’s Aid, and Breakthrough Breast Cancer. He has shot covers for Elle, German Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone and Wonderland. His work has always endeavoured to question social norms and ideas of beauty and, in late 2000, Rankin published the heteroclite quarterly Rank, an experimental anti-fashion magazine celebrating the unconventional.

Fine Art is reflected in this image taken by photographer Rankin. The use of the extreme high key lighting makes the skin extremely smooth, while making the facial features hard to distinguish from the rest of the face. The eyes are very dark, with the iris being bold and a light green colour. The makeup around the eye draws attention to it, with the pointy eye makeup making the face much stronger and giving it some definition which is not present without such striking makeup. The flower in the mouth is a symbol of purity, and it is also a strong red colour, which makes it the focus of the portrait. The symbol of virtue and innocence is displayed through her mouth, which suggests it is reflective of her voice and it is strong and powerful among the image. 

This image symbolises the beauty of life to me. The female is shown to be staring directly into the camera, with exaggerated dark makeup. This theatrical appearance could connote that the female leads a life full of drama, and that she is confident within the clothing that she is wearing. The female is not wearing any strong make up, other than the bird like eye makeup that shapes her nose and eyes. Accessories play a big part in this image, with the fashionable ring around her neck being a ring of feathers. These brightly coloured red and dark green feathers draw connotations to the approach of her appearing to come across as though she is a bird. The image is iconic as she is dressing up to be like a bird, the beauty is shown through the connotations that can be drawn the feathers and the bright bold colours that make her appear like a bird. 

This image holds a lot of stance in the work of Rankin through the use of colour and the exaggerated makeup. The makeup used in this image is to enhance the facial features dramatically. The model is shown to have relative appearance to that of a cartoon character, with much larger fuller lips, and a black outline around them separated them from the smooth soft complexion on the skin and makes them stand out. The eyes are also exaggerated heavily in this hot, with the eyelids being clear of makeup, and the lashes free from mascara. Alternatively, the eyebrows are now covered in blue makeup and the eyebrows are drawn halfway above the forehead. The eyelashes have also been drawn down her face. This gives the appearance that she has been crying, and the dark background makes it seem as though she is sad. There is a sombre tone about this beauty image, perhaps that she is tired of the work that goes into feeling beautiful. 

One of my favourite concepts of this image is the way in which Rankin has placed the gems in lines across the head of the model. The diamonds have been lined up horizontally so that they follow a pattern and grow into the hair line. The image uses high key lighting, with the light source directly above the camera. The makeup in this image is retro, with a purple eye shadow uplifting a dark eyelid with strong eyelashes. The diamonds reflect the light into the camera, which make a compelling image. The different glares which come from each diamond give the image class, while also making it brighter and a unique style which is not normally shown. The beauty element comes from the composition and the models positioning in the shoot, with her facing away from the camera. However it also comes from the diamonds which are a huge point of beauty in the industry, with the rare metal being one of the most expensive properties on Earth. 

Influences

Summary