My photography project this year was for the module: Fashion, Styling and Photography.
When considering different themes for the Fashion Styling and Photography module I wanted to re create the intense imagery and emotion that I felt throughout the Disney movie Frozen. Frozen was impressive in many regards but I left the cinema absolutely enthralled with the producers ability to portray the two main characters, Elsa and Anna. In Frozen, two sisters are the main characters, both have their own distinguishing characteristics from the other. At the beginning of the film Elsa is very self-conscious and reclusive while Anna is much more excitable and outgoing. The relationship of these two sisters and their progressions as individual characters are a unifying theme throughout all of the final work presented. The following goes into greater detail about how I drew inspiration from other photographers, fashion trends, and brands to help bring these two wonderful Disney characters to life.
The following quote sums up why I love Sorapol, “The Sorapol woman is powerful, elegant, and opulent.” (Sorapol 2014). Based out of London, I believe my work best aligns with the philosophy and style of Sorapol. Sorapol has artisanal influences; their garments are very luxurious and glamorous, just like in Frozen. Another aspect of Sorapol that has similarities to Frozen is their photography settings. Many of their photographs are taken in a large house, much like the one that Elsa and Anna grow up in as children. Due to the common theme in both Sorapol fashion photography and Frozen, I also implemented background imagery of a big manor type house to bring the photographs closer together.
The main fashion influences upon this module come from garments displayed upon the catwalk for upcoming Autumn and Winter trends. The two main influences that carried over into my work were the use of fur garments and bold eye makeup. Within the film Frozen, we see many of these same trends. Both Elsa and Anna wear large winter coats with fur throughout the film. While the filmmakers apparently thought Anna’s character too young for makeup, Elsa sports bold makeup themes that are very similar to those currently trending in fashion today. The powerful connection be- tween Frozen and today’s current fashion trends is even further explored in my work. Both models are shown with bold eye makeup as well as examples of fur clothing.

I have chosen three different fashion photographers to draw inspiration from, each with their own unique styles. Julia Blank is a beauty, fashion, and advertising photographer. Her use of twin model children in her photo shoot for Milk magazine aligns well with the theme of sisterhood from Frozen. Her work also shows strength and unity between the two girls, which is another great similarity to the Disney film. The next photographer that I drew inspiration from was Sharif Hamza. The image of hers’ that influenced me the most was on the cover of Dazed and Confused magazine. Her model is shown as a fierce and confident young woman with a caption that reads, “Girls Rule the World.” (Dazed and confused, 2014). Hamza’s ability to capture the inner strength of her model is a powerful way to engage her viewers and make them look back with intrigue and wonder. Tomas Reid is the next photographer that had an influence on my work. Reid’s work is constantly populated with blue tones. We see blue tones throughout Frozen as well; due to the fact that much of the movie is based around winter weather. He has also experimented with motion and double exposure photography. Reid’s use of these techniques inspired me to try and do some of my own attempts at motion and double exposures. All three photographers were able to convey a woman/girl’s strength as well as beauty, a theme that is clearly evident in Frozen.
In order to achieve the desired look I wanted for my work, I utilised many different techniques in Photoshop CS6. Based on research by the photographers mentioned above, the key elements that need editing after a photo is taken are high contrasts, dark shadows, motion blur, blending modes including an overlay effect, and selective colour change. Photoshop can be used to enhance delicate features such as skin tone, makeup, and hair colour. All of these techniques used in conjunction with one another helped me to better make my work the way I had it originally envisioned. Frozen is a fantastic film for all ages, I am overjoyed that I was able to expand upon it for this module. The themes present in the film are so intertwined in the Fashion Photography world but to the untrained eye, it’s simply a stunning film.
Studying Fashion Photography has opened my eyes to the many possibilities of how to portray a model to help deliver a powerful and concise message. In conclusion, I can only hope that my work evokes the same emotions I felt when watching Frozen for the first time; sadness, power, love, and strength.
Here are my favourites -
Thank you to my beautiful models Emily and Cat. Here are some funny moments from the shoot;
Thanks for reading!
