Objectification
Having modelled for a number of years myself, something I've come to realise is that there is no 'certain look' as a model. People often laugh or are really surprised if I tell them I model because I'm not your typical 7 foot tall catwalk model or your big-busted glamour-style girl. It never really occurred to me that there should be a particular 'look' so much until I decided to pick up a camera and start photographing other people. I've come to realise that for certain projects you have to set boundaries/expectations/limits otherwise it could go out of scope and become a different project entirely, also if you are trying to convey a certain idea or explore something specific then realistically you do start with an image in mind and have to find someone that not only fits that but is skilled enough to transform your ideas and bring them to life. That actually often leaves very few suitable models (much to my surprise).
Another thing I've learnt is just how easy it is to objectify models without even realising! You have a concept or a style, you pick someone that looks suitable and then turn them into your idea; effectively making them an object rather than a person. I guess some of this is to be expected with the job, but its not necessarily something I want to do. Instead I want to work with people that are individuals and, whilst I have a personal preference for the styles I want to photograph and therefore there is a criteria that suits that style, what I really want to do is make each model feel unique, powerful and beautiful.
I'm sure i'm not alone in this and as a model I've had a lot of people over the years try to 'capture the real me'. I find this a little confusing as I don't really know how to be anyone else, but also because I guess I do put on a certain way I like to be viewed when I get ready for a shoot (I've only ever had one project to date that has required me to wear no makeup for example), I also hold my body in certain ways and pose myself that is flattering/elegant in front of a camera but completely un-representable of how I sit at home watching TV and going about my "real" life. On top of that, to be asked to show my most personal sides to someone i've just met and who has no idea about my life or background, can feel very intrusive. When I agree to model for someone I am not simultaneously agreeing to open up my life to them and allow them to see my deepest and most personal qualities, I'm not in this job to date people or spend my life with them, i'm here to provide my skills as a model. I want to be aware of this when photographing others - my aim is to empower the people I work with through photography but not expecting them to be just an object of my creative imagination. Without a model's personality to bring it to life there isn't much point in me hiring a person, I may as well use a mannequin. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm aware and consciously trying not to objectify women but rather ask them to bring their own creativity to my ideas and together collaborate to make something we can both be proud of - but when you start to break that down its a very challenging project to embark on!
On a related note, I explored the idea of objectification in some depth last year by working with a group of people and putting myself in the place of objects, in this case furniture. It was a very interesting experiment and something i'd like to explore further alongside my above project. The most interesting part was that due to it all being under my direction, I felt hugely empowered to allowed myself these feelings. But perhaps thats a post for another time :)
Photography & post processing : Suffering4Art,
Models: Myself (Scarlot-Rose) & Mister_Adam
