A
personal investigation into how the Beauty industry’s explored in Photography
Introduction
Beauty is defined as a combination of qualities such as shape, colour or
form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. It is important
to study the topic of beauty as it is judged in everything that is seen today. Focusing on beauty in the photography
industry is particularly interesting as it is often manipulated to suit the
needs of the spectator. This is done through exaggerated makeup, contouring and
a heavy reliance on editing software such as Photoshop. Beauty is an extremely
important part of society as it supplies people with an aspiration to be as
they see on the front cover of magazines and photo shoots. In the UK, the beauty industry is
worth over £17 billion, and is set to grow 16 percent by the end of 2016. It
employs more than one million people and is one of the biggest industries
worldwide set to reach £200 billion across the globe by 2017. However, unaware
of the manipulation that occurs, society is changing its views on what they
feel is defined as beauty by the mass media production of the flawless and thin
models that cover the shelves of newsagents and social media accounts.
Brief History
There is an established
history in the beauty industry as it has been the foreground of photography
since its development. Harper’s Bazaar is an American women’s fashion magazine
first published in 1867. Aimed at members of the upper-middle and upper
classes, it assembles photographers and designers to deliver perspectives into
the world of fashion and beauty. Since then, Beauty photographer has come a
long way through the changing shape of society. Following this, other magazines
such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue began creating magazines to feature fashion and
beauty. In the early stages of the photographic era, these types of images were
produced were limited by the technology at the time. All cameras shot in black
and white, and meant that the model had to sit extremely still for the
photograph to be taken. This was due to the slow film speeds and black and white
film. The images were much more illustrative and formal compared to the modern
era as photographers were not able to experiment as much with their limited
resources. As technology developed, the influences in the images changed along
side it. Looking at the images from these times, they featured stunning models
with natural beauty, and were taken by using 35mm film for still photography. On
the front cover of the first Harper’s Bazaar, the image is a cartoon as
companies were not able to produce photographs and publish them on their
magazines. However, around 30 years after the first edition they published the
first photographed model. In this image, the model is shown to be looking away
from the camera wearing a corset, which has significantly shrunk the waist of
the model. This shows that even over a century ago, models were still shown to
be changing their body images to suit the desired look of the ‘perfect’ human.
Therefore, they were placing themselves in such devices which shaped their body
size and bone structure to gain a more desirable body. The image was taken in
black and white, as the cameras did not have the ability to capture colour
processes.
Looking on from this, as technology began to
evolve, the range of techniques used also evolved with it. Photographers were
able to use digital cameras, which meant that they could view the footage in
which they had just taken on the screen in front of them. Steve Sasson, an
engineer at Kodak invented and built the first electronic camera using a
charged device image sensor in 1975. Digital cameras nowadays differ
from their predecessors in the way that they do not use film, but capture and
save photographs on memory cards or internal storage instead. This means that
the images are instantly transferrable from the camera onto computers and other
devices to view and edit. Digital camera’s nowadays are available to buy at a
much cheaper cost, with the first camera to feature automatic exposure and
light meter-equipped costing around $225, which is $3782 in present terms. This
means that it doesn’t have to be professionals that take images and gain
publication, but anyone can use them themselves. It is not uncommon to see
photographers publishing their work on websites and social media accounts, to
gain publicity and be a noted photographer.
Review of Photographers
Photographers post digital
era began to manipulate the stereotypes and produce images in hope to shock the
public and overlook the traditional values of the industry. Heroin Chic was a
look popularised by supermodels in the mid 1990’s fashion. It consisted of the
models characteristics having pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes and
angular bone structure. The look was photographed to exhibit the emaciated
features in a backlash to the vibrant and healthy look of models such as Cindy
Crawford. Corrine Day, a British fashion and documentary photographer,
photographed Kate Moss on her first cover for
Vogue in 1996. This
shoot was deemed as the turning point in the stereotypes of beauty photography
and caused media outrage with newspapers claiming that the images were
‘hideous, exploitative and verging on child pornography’. The public was not
used to seeing the effort that these models put themselves through in order to
achiever such a vision. Many models starved themselves and took such harmful
drugs in order to achieve what the industry defined as beautiful – imperfection
free, slim models. However, all that they are doing is harming their fragile
bodies and making them appear tired and ill.
Alternatively, in another shoot for the front
cover of ‘The Face’ magazine, Corrine Day responded to the backlash by
photographing a much more attractive image of Kate Moss. As you can see from
the image, Moss sets her own style by being photographed to be naturally
beautiful. With very little of if any makeup present on her
face, she is seen looking directly into the camera with a gleaming smile on her
face. There are also imperfections with the model having gaps in her teeth and
having hair covering her face. Yet the image is striking, as the model genuinely
looks happy and incredibly beautiful. With a contagious smile, Kate Moss is seen to be
shown in an entirely different light in comparison to the previous images of
her. This was a step forward in the beauty industry as it meant that
photographers could see such a new and iconic model in her natural self. There
was no need for airbrushing and makeup as you can see her flawless appearance
through the image. The image holds a lot of clarity, with Moss appearing very
vulnerable compared to other models within the beauty industry but it is also
striking due to it being on the front cover of an established magazine. The
photograph links to the title of the magazine, which is named ‘the Face’ as it,
is purely her face on the front cover of the magazine.
Contemporary Photographers
David Benoliel is a beauty
photographer who currently lives in Miami, Florida. Benoliel focuses on
capturing professional-quality photographs whilst also experimented with
post-processing and photo manipulation. Colour and contrast are the two
elements that are the strongest within the work of Benoliel’s photographs; by
using a dramatic and vivid contrast of colour it makes the photograph
interesting and beautiful. The use of make up and retouching has given the
models flawless skin although the way that Benoleil has captured this is
fascination. By using strong contrasts such as a midnight blue against the pale
and highlighted face, it captures the viewer’s attention. In these photos,
using female models to emphasise make-up and other commercial products has
portrayed beauty. Another aspect of the photograph that interested me was
the angle that they were both captures. Each photograph is different, one being
a longer and wider shot to capture the body and the other is a close-up
focusing heavily on the woman's enhanced features. David Benoliel is a great
example of how the beauty industry has changed in the way in which it has been
photographed – comparing it to those raw photographs of Kate Moss, he takes
models and conforms them to the modern beauty industry. The contemporary beauty
industry is forever changing and photographers work around the way they want
their models to be perceived to the audience. In the work of Benoliel, he
manages to capture the audience’s attention by using bold colours and models from
a distance enabling full body shots.
Jeff Tse stood out to me
for a number of different reasons in that no portfolio of his work is the same
or similar to any others in which I have looked at. Jeff uses a range of
different approaches to beauty, and incorporates fashion into it with his
diverse accessories and bold statements. Another reason Jeff stood out to me
was due to his range of different props he uses, for example, in some of his
work we can see the models grasping flowers and thus a very feminine photograph
comes out. However, in another aspect of his work, he uses much more unusual
items to portray a novelty approach to his work. In these images, he uses
different fruits sliced open being caressed by the model. Jeff uses a range of
different formal elements in his work including colour, form and he often plays
around with light. His work to me is timelessly beautiful, and his work is
influenced from a range of different cultural backgrounds across the world. The style of photographer
in which Tse photographs proves the impact that the Beauty industry has had
around the world and the way it has spread from its typical Western approach to
that of a more diverse nature. In this image by Jeff Tse, we can see he has
incorporated the beauty industry to appeal to a range of nations and he has not
just chosen the stereotypical Western model. He has also done this by using ranges
of different iconography from were the model originates from, enhancing the
ever changing nature of the beauty industry.
Rankin is one of the most notable beauty and
celebrity photographers of the century. Not only is his work extremely
influential in the beauty industry, but he also includes a range of different
styles in his shoots. Rankin 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. Rankin photographs in a style of photography, which
has depth, but also does so in a way, which enhances Beauty in his style of
work.
How does your work fit in to this?
This image shows beauty
through the use of particular make up techniques and added accessories. By
using the colour gold and a bronzer to the skin, it adds a warm effect to the
image and highlights certain features, such as the cheekbones and lips. The
photograph focuses on the female model directly by using lighting techniques
and emphasising on the shadows around her face. This works really effectively
as it enables the viewer to see the female model is the focal point and focuses
on her face, while highlighting the aspects, which the beauty industry sees the
audience lust for. For example, the cheekbones to show the slim face, the lips
to show femininity and also the eyes to create a positive relationship with the
viewer. It conforms to the beauty industry as a female model has been used;
females are most typically associated with beauty via being on covers for
magazines. The gold flakes emit a feel of luxury and class, which targets a
specific audience such as more upper class citizens. This work relates to
photographs, which have been used in the Beauty industry as it shows a
glamorous young female model, with flawless skin and luscious hair looking
directly into the camera. It is an image, which could be used to promote a
Beauty product, such as make-up or hair equipment.
Another
piece of my work for my Personal Project, which shows the way in which the
Beauty industry has been challenged in recent years, is of this self-portrait.
In this image, we can see Laura Mulveys 1975 theory of ‘The Male Gaze’ being
challenged by placing a male in the place of a female. “Mulvey observes how women are
made into objects of male desire in cinema and shows, using psychoanalytic
analysis, how male pleasure is derived from looking at passive females (the
object).” –indiewire.com
In this image, the stereotypes have been challenged as there are several
women idolising a male and showing lust for him. The lighting is seen as
feminine, with soft shadows used and a white background. Usually, on a male
this lighting features hard shadows, which differ the male from the female and
makes it more noticeable. Challenging the stereotypes of the Beauty industry
show the ways in which it is always changing. It is more common now for men to
wear makeup, and the beauty industry is tailoring this to fit a more equal
world. In this self-portrait, editing it was extremely intriguing as it enables
the photographer to see the lengths to which others will go to edit their
images and make them more attractive. The male in this image is covered in
lipstick marks, and also has a few female hands holding onto him. This holds a
lot of meanings as it shows the males lack of dominance, being kissed by
several women but also being fought over. This image also shows lust, and
conforms to the more contemporary theory of the Female Gaze. This theory
explores the sexuality of the male, and subverts the stereotypes that it is
just women who are ‘gazed’ at by the audience. There is a new market forming
for men to be the forefront of the beauty industry, yet it is still editing in
the same style of a female.
The Future
It is hard to discuss the ways in which the
Beauty industry is heading towards, however it is clear that in the future it
will not be similar to how it has been in the past century. Since the beauty
industry was first established in the 19th century, it has been
mainly dominated by the perception of the women. However, due to the changing motion
of the industry and the way it is currently heading, it is clear that it will
be more equal in regards to using a range of different models and not just
conforming to the stereotypes. I also feel like sexuality will be a big taboo
explored, with many models currently being employed due to their LGBT nature.
For example, Caitlyn Jenner is set to feature on the front cover of Sports Illustrated
due to her recent transitioning from a male to a female. This is a theme, which
is breaking the boundaries and in the future should be seen as the norm. Due to
the use of social media and the ways in which the younger generation are able
to create their own images – it is also clear that the industry will cater
towards the generally more open-minded views of the younger generation. Social
media websites such as Twitter and Tumblr enable users of any age to publish
their own photographs and also create discussions about the images and views on
the beauty industry. Dominated by celebrities and models alike, it allows
people the opportunity to have their say and critique the views, which the
media industry portrays. Taking this into consideration, it could be said that
the beauty industry will opt to change its techniques and the way it explores
models to meet the needs of the spectator. Catering for the views of the
younger generation, and exploring an industry where all the boundaries have
been broken. With the industry set to grow 16% from the previous year in 2016,
it will have to alter its ways to suit the futures needs.
Conclusion
To conclude, by looking at the work of both
historic and contemporary photographers, analysing the past and evaluating what
the future holds it is clear that the Beauty industry is explored in great
depth within the photography industry. With the development of technology, and
the availability of these pieces being more common in the 21st
century, the Beauty topic has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. The
transformation between the first magazine front cover in Harpers Bazaar, where
the female is placed in a corset to conform to a desired body type and the raw
images of Kate Moss shows the ways in which this diverse industry is forever
changing. Both challenging and conforming previous stereotypes, every
photographer takes their own style of Beauty into account when photographing.
However, one aspect, which does stay the same, is the way in which photographs
are manipulated to suit the ideologies fixated in the spectators. Photoshop and
other editing softwares are widely used in the industry to alter appearances of
females, and they are now being disregarded by the younger generation who do
not wish to conform to these stereotypes. It is more common nowadays to find
men at the forefront of these body-changing images, with physiques being
enhanced and sculpted onto bodies to make them appear more attractive to the
viewer. Instead, all these are doing is body-shaming women in order for them to
change what is really the norm in society and alter what we expect of the world
around us.
Bibliography
http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/embracing-the-female-gaze-20150730
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