Elena Jasic - Papercut Magazine "A Cinema" 2008

Photography: Elena Jasic
Makeup & Hair: Eliza Davila

These images below are taken from Elena Jasic's body of work entitled "A Cinema", created in 2008 for Papercut Magazine. The theme of the shoot was exactly that, following the looks and stylings of cinema sirens throughout film history. This also explains the choices of the gel lighting which in this instance mimic that of the negative film strips and the early 3-D moving image system. Despite this I found both the makeup, camera angles, and in particular use of gel lighting within this body of work particularly inspiring for my own as it demonstrated how colour can be used to enhance a message to a beauty editorial look. In addition how through the use of the changing colour tones different moods and atmospheres are created within the image, without the requirement for explanation.

http://elenajasic.com/beauty 

This first image in alliance with the title is visibly depicting the colour tones of modern 3-D cinema, however by taking the subject away from its given title it is open to more elaborate analysis. For example the use of colour here ties in effortlessly with the previously researched theme of thermal imagery and Pseudocolor. The heavy use of the red gel lighting within this image, in combination with the subtle pops of green, creates a very heated concept. The subtle hint of highlight on areas of the nose and brow further enhance this concept by creating the illusion of glowing skin, though doing so the model appears subtly sweaty but still seductive. This is predominantly due to the close up, personal camera angle and posing. The makeup here is heavy around the eyes but with a nude lip, carrying a modern Kate Moss-esque grunge tone. It almost resembles that of a nightclub scene which again carries further connotations of suffocating heat and seduction. It is due to this connotation of the colours used with the gel lighting that Jasic's work is so relevant. The immediate association of colour demonstrates a connection to that of thermal imagery as red tones are those that depict heat. Therefore in connection to my own work the concept of creating a red toned gel lighting for the heat look would work effectively as it connects to the key of thermal imagery.

http://elenajasic.com/beauty

Secondly is this image which has a completely contrasting colour pattern despite its connection to the first image. Although the choice of makeup is very similar here in regards to the closing skin - through the use of a highlighter/illuminator - the bold eye has been removed, this in turn makes the whole look far softer making the model appear more innocent and youthful. Instead a hint of gloss has been added to the eyelid making her skin appear glossy and almost damp to the touch. This is something that would work well for both a water themed shoot or a sweaty/heated look as dependant on the lighting you would achieve a different effect. In regards to this shoot the use of the lighting creates the feeling of icy waters through the use of a cool toned blue. The blue only hits one side of the face and is not as dominating as the previous image. Through doing so the intensity of the images builds when placed next to one another with the blue image being far softer. Blue immediately carries connotations of the cold (especially when using a cooler toned blue), in addition it appears low down on the thermal scale, much nearer the mid bottom of the chart. As a result it carries a more fluid association and would suit well for the use of a water themed/liquid editorial shoot. In addition I like the use of the close up angle and feel it works beautifully to capture the fine details of the makeup look, the only thing that seems out of place is that of the hands, however hands are an addition that is notoriously difficult to make appear natural within close up editorial photography.