Connecting Essay 2

 Online Image:

In this image, model and actor Colton Haynes is photographed in a set of images with his face covered in lipstick kisses. The images are taken on a grey background, which enhances the formal element of Colour as the boldest colours in this image are the red kisses of the lipstick. The female is placed with her lips on the model, and you are able to see her wavy blonde hair which also sticks out to the audience. The males facial expression is serious, but he also appears to be quite intimidated as there is not much emotion coming from him. On the other hand, the female emits the emotions of lust among the spectator as her eyes are shut. This image places the male in a position stereotypically filled by a female, as there is women lusting over him. The camera is placed directly in front of the males, with studio lighting showing some soft shadows. These are particularly on the males face, with the cheekbones and jawline being carved into by these. This draws the viewers attention along this line to the females face, which is placed slightly off the centre of the image. 

Own Image:

My own self-portrait places me in a position of being dominated by women. The image shows the male being held within the control of women. The females hands can be distinguished through the use of soft nail varnish, and also other items such as pearl and diamond rings. Placing myself on a white background, the image holds a lot of clarity as it feels clean. The use of colour is explored through the use of the lipstick on my face, and also the lipstick placed on the males lips. The colour red connotes lust and sex in this situation, as the male is being held by women. There are some dark shadows present, which are stronger and also show the light source is coming from the right of the image. This is because when the hand comes across the males body, there is a shadow highlighting this. The females arm therefore appears brighter. The male is seen looking directly into the camera, creating a relationship with the audience as they are able to look directly into the males eye. The males dark hair is also shown to be much darker than the background, which creates a nice contrast. 

Overall, these two images connect due to the themes explored. In both the images, a man is being lusted over by a female. In the Internet image with Colton Haynes, the female is shown on the camera, allowing the audience to see who she is and place her at the scene. Alternatively, in my own image, the female are not present however we can follow the conventions and see the nail varnish and accessories - all of which conform to the beauty industry. Both of the images use a white background, and have shadows highlighting the males body - although the internet image is much stronger in this aspect. The themes of sex and desire are both explored in these images, therefore linking them together in the same style of male beauty photography.