Ariel Harker Photography
This image embodies the phrase “fish out of water”, which describes someone unfamiliar or uncomfortable with their surroundings. My favourite part of this image is the bright pop of colour in the background and in the fish bowl. I used the ring light for this image, which gives her eye a really neat effect. I downloaded a bubble brush online, and used it to add the bubbles in the background. I wish the catchlight was more circular, but the ring light I used was square shaped. The weakest part of this image is the catchlights on the fishbowl, because the reflection of the lights is distorted and a little distracting.
"A Fish out of water"
Themed photos
My theme was "The Animal Element of Human Idioms". I’ve always been fascinated by the way language has evolved over time. I noticed that many common English idioms and expressions that deal with human behavior and physicality involve comparison or reference to animals; phrases along the lines of “sly as a fox”, “pig-headed”, “puppy love”, and “busy as a bee”. I thought an interesting way to explore the similarity and comparison between animals and humans was through photographs.
Hover over the images to read my critique.
This photo is a representation of the expression “catty”, used to describe someone being spiteful and malicious. This phrase seems particularly prevalent when describing females. Her messy hair, yellow eyes, and slightly pointed teeth give her a feral look. I used photoshop to lengthen and point her incisors and add a touch of yellow to her eyes. I love the bright pop of colour of her red shirt, especially against the grey background and her blond hair. The weakest part of the image is the blown out portion which is slightly distracting. I wish her hair had spread out a bit more to cover the light and show its detail.
This image represents the expression “bat-shit crazy”, used to describe someone who is absolutely insane. I used light painting to create this image, which is one of my favourite techniques. I think his expression is the strongest point of the image. His wings took several attempts to get right, but turned out great. The only thing I would change is his hands because their position is a little odd.
Many people are self conscious about the way they look. Unfortunately, people who choose to tease or bully people about their appearance often choose to compare them to animals, and as the largest land animal, elephants are a go-to. The weakest part of the photo is the drawstrings and letters of her sweater. They’re a little distracting. My favourite part of this image in the background. I love the gradient of colour, and the sunset-like effect. I like that it’s not a complete silhouette, which gives some detail to her face.
I used another downloaded brush to add the snake skin pattern in various layers. I also edited my model’s eye colour to be more snake-like. My favourite part of this is how accurately it embodies the saying “a snake in the grass”. The expression describes someone who is two faced and sneaky, and only the part of his face in shadow is snake-like. His expression is perfect as well; he looks sleazy and untrustworthy. If I were to change anything, I would make the shift from green gelled skin to normal skin more gradual and softer.
Giraffes are an obvious choice when describing someone tall and slender. I love the way this image turned out. I think it’s very appropriate that the image I used for this was a full length fashion shot, because model’s bodies are such an important (and controversial) aspect of the fashion industry. I used photoshop to add the giraffe legs and extend her neck. It took a while to get her neck to look alright, and I while I’m happy with how it turned out, it is probably the weakest part of the image.
