Photography and Lighting

The fabrics, as well as the slight iridescence in the hair, react differently in different lights.[pic 1] Natural light was too clean for the character who lives a rather dingy life and a white background gave her more of a white queen look than decaying vampire princess. [pic 2]The black background sets a greater contrast and brings out the yellow tones in the fabric, it also fits better with the idea of vampires as creatures of darkness. The natural light was still bringing out too much white so I switched to candle light (yay fire hazard) which cast stronger shadows and set a much more Gothic tone to the photos. I was also night time when I took the shots so there was no interference from the sunlight.    

The finished hair...

... swoosh. The stiff and slightly plastic-y quality of the nettle fibers made it easy to pose in an expressive manner (a few squirts of hairspray didn't hurt either. 

The Hair

I built up layers of nettle fibers from the base of the skull up. The fibers were perfect because they had a sort of eerie glow and iridescence that matched the description in the text.

Nosferatu's Wedding Dress

The dress is made from organza, silk chiffon and calico- the combination of materials in similar shades gives the impression of something faded and repaired.

Another approach to needle felt people

My starting point was The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter. The story is about Nosferatu, but not

It's the tragedy of a young girl trapped by her ancestors sins and her nature.

 I made up a wire skeleton which included the rib cage and shape of the hip bones rather than the basic structure I used before. This gave the figure a much more emaciated look by allowing the bones to protrude under thin layers of wool.

Nosferatu wears her mothers wedding dress as if it is the only clothes she has. I created a dress that is layered and torn to express the age of the garment. The shape also sits around her like a shell, too big and holding her in.

I hadn't realised how neglected this blog had gotten, I spent so much time on my applications and portfolio the poor this was forgotten about so there will now be a surge of the wonderful images I am now almost sick of looking at.
http://1080451346.blogspot.co.uk/ <-- the more loved (briefly) blog which acted as my Manchester School of Art application

This ended up my favorite page in my portfolio, I had fun with the photography and the challenge of getting an image which showed off all the elements. I'm pleased with the way the focus softened into the background because it brought out some of the whimsy and magic. The little lady bird was pure chance (no, I didn't make it), the little guy wondered out at the right moment and I got the perfect shot. The little men have also taken on a new character because they are now Hobs rather than odd faces. As the commentary will say when they go up in Pannet Park gallery on friday (eeeek):

     Where ever there are people bridging the gap between the natural and man-made world there will be folklore; a way to connect and explain the two worlds and the strange goings on that come with rural living.

Especially common is the story of the magical being which has made it's home alongside people. In Shetland, the Trowie steals babies in the night and replaces them with a changeling for you to unknowingly bring up as your own. In Norway, a Nisse will milk all the cows in the dead of night but leave a patch of ice on the step so your sure to slip on your way in. North Yorkshire's answer to the wee men in the woodshed is the hairy little Hob. Hobs are cheeky, mischievous, naked little men who are both a hindrance and a help to people living on the moors.

I chose this branch of folklore as my inspiration because of the links with the places I call home and because the Hob offers a tie between people, the landscape and a sense of the old world of magic and myth. The felt faces appear from a twist of embroidery expressing the individual character of the Hob, like capturing a glimpse before he disappears again. 

ooo aren't I clever :)