This document summarizes and compares two photos - one by Pauline Darley and the other by the author. Both photos feature dramatic makeup looks combining glamorous and skeletal elements. Simple, sterile backgrounds allow the subjects to stand out without distractions. Harmonious color palettes and upward camera angles make the subjects appear powerful despite hints of beauty. The photos provocatively blend life and death themes, controversially associating glamour with mortality. Connections between the photos include their themes, backgrounds, colors, and styled hair minimizing distractions from the striking makeup looks.

1. Connecting Essay 2
My Photo
Pauline Darley
Pauline Darley has here photographed a beautiful skeleton look that goes across
the whole face and down the neck. Though the makeup has been created to look
like a skeleton there are still some glamorous and ‘pretty’ things about it. All the
colours in the shot are harmonious and work well together (mostly being black
or white with some grey). The pose of the model is strong and demanding, and
this has been accentuated with the angle of the camera when this photo was
taken (looking upwards at the subject makes them look ‘bigger’ and powerful).
There is a simple plain background used in this photo as this allows the subject
to remain the focal point.
In my photo, I have created and photographed a makeup look in which half the
face is done up like a skeleton and half the face is done up in a more wearable yet
dramatic glamorous look. The background is sterile and this has meant that
there are no distractions in the photo that would detract from the subject. The
camera is angled so that the model is looking up at it, this would normally
makeup the subject look softer, and it partially has on the ‘prettier’ side of the
makeup, though the intensity of the eyes and the strong makeup look has still
made the subject look scary and dominant. All colours in the shot are relatively
harmonious, except for the red seen in the blood, and this has accentuated a focal
point and drawn attention to the photo.
There are lots of connections between these two photos, the one that is most
accentuated is the theme within the photos of life and death, and almost a hint at
a glamorous side to death. I think this has made the photos slightly controversial
as typically one does not associate things glamorous and pretty with something
that is used to represent death and gore, but this contrast has translated
beautifully in the photos. Both the photos have used sterile backgrounds and

2. this has helped to prevent the problem of any distractions that could arise that
would detract attention from the subjects. The photos see harmonious colours
being used and this has added to the dark, evil feel of them –though in my photo
there is the statement red colour from the blood present in the photo. The
models have both been styled similarly in terms of their hair and this has
allowed the makeup to be seen more clearly and again prevent any unwanted
distractions (because these looks are so strong this was an important thing to
remember). I really like how the two contrasting ideas of beauty and horror
have been photographed and well it has photographed and translated into the
shots.