Experiment 1 - Combination

For this experiment, I decided that I wanted to try and merge two of my images together to try and create the contrast of male and female stereotypes (women have long hair, wear makeup and bras whereas men wear masculine clothing and no makeup). To do this, I took photographs of my brother in both 'male' and 'female' attire. 

After taking the photographs, I looked through the images and chose the ones that matched each other the best in terms of positioning and lighting. I imported them into photoshop and began to remove parts of one of the images to reveal the one underneath.

My next step was to blend the images a with blending and smudge tools in photoshop in order to try and make the piece look more flowing yet still fake looking in order to symbolise that stereotypes can be perceived as fake ideals that others have about appearance and gender roles physically. 

To make the image stand out more I edited the levels of the image. As you can see, this has  made the colours in the wig and the bra seem brighter and more colourful, contrasting with the darker oranges and browns of the background. It has also made the light and dark in the clothing stand out to create more form. 

I have also adjusted the contrast and brightness of the image to create more contrast and tone within the composition. Once again, it has made the brighter colours stand out more which grabs the attention of the viewer and draws in the eye.

I felt that the colours in the image looked too saturated so I lowered the saturation of the image. I feel that this has made the picture more aesthetically pleasing to look at and it is less of an eyesore so it is easier on the eye. The colour still stands out but it is more subtle and still contrasts with the background.

At the end of this experiment, I feel that the image has not been as successful as I had hoped it would be. This is because the image is not as clear as I would have hoped and it looks too strange as everything blends into each other too much.