Ultra Violet Photoshoot

"Sorry if we can't all be original, but I have a mold to break."
-Jeffree Star

Lana and I had different ideas for the digipak, so we each did our own separately.

As part of our research, a prominent artistic factor found frequently in electro-pop artists' image is glitter. Examples of artists that consistently use glitter as an artistic direction are:

Santigold: On her album cover (displayed in previous posts), glitter is a clear thematic device. I found the idea of throwing up glitter fascinating and eye catching, and it played a vital role of inspiration in my photoshoot for the digipak.

Lady GaGa: Famously quoted for 'taking over the world, one sequin at a time', GaGa points out that glitter is an artistic connection she can have with her fans: cheap to buy and widely usable, by using glitter, her fans can be given an easier opportunity to imitate her alternative fashion sense.

Ke$ha: Ke$ha refers to glitter in terms of its use in parties, and how it amplifies the atmosphere of a party she would want to represent on stage. An example of her using glitter in her shows, in the form of a glitter gun (skip to 2:45):


Due to these artistic inspirations, I chose glitter as the prime artistic direction in my photoshoot for the digipak, using the model from the video, Daniella Gordenfelt. I took Santigold's idea of throwing up glitter, and attempted to imitate a similar set of photos-focusing on taking a photo that will shock the viewer. I also wanted to try using glitter in other ways that would enhance the beauty of the model, so I decided to make a 'glittery lipstick' for my model in some photos. I also took a hand-held mirror and poured glitter onto it, to alter the intensity of the reflection.

The camera that I used to take the photos is the Sony Cyber-Shot 5.0 Megapixel DSC-F717 camera. The camera comes equipped with a 10x Precision Digital Zoom function, which made the photo-shoot much easier for me, as an incredibly high level of precision and quality was very easy to achieve.

I bought a pack of WHSmith's glitter, containing several different pots of different colors, giving me the opportunity to experiment. For the shots of my model throwing up, I practiced with different colors of glitter, to see which would reflect the light in the most interesting way.

To capture my model lunging forwards to throw up successfully, I used a function on my camera called 'Multi Burst'. This enables my camera to take three rapid photos after pressing the 'Take Photo' button once. This way, Daniella could lunge forwards to 'throw up' the glitter, and my camera would successfully capture the quick movement. This plan worked, and some of the pictures are very effective.

For the close-up shots of my model's face, I used purple glitter. This is because I have decided to use one of these photos as my front cover, and the purple glitter notably embodies the artist's name, Ultra Violet. To stick the glitter to my model's lips, I used conventional peach flavored lip balm, and it successfully held the glitter in place. This created a dramatic effect, and the lighting heavily amplified the borderline-futuristic image I was hoping to achieve.


For the lighting, I again used the provided equipment in my school's media suite. As you can see in a picture on the left, taken in one of our video shoots, the lighting is highly professional, and there were several lights at different areas in the room-enabling me to experiment with different angles of lighting. This way, I could shine the lights appropriately onto the glitter.



Here is a slideshow of all of the unedited photos I have taken, and I will have to choose 4 of these to compose my final piece: