Researched Photographers - Natalia Pereira

About this photographerNatalia Pereira is a photographer from Spain. As well as being a photographer, she also has a passion for graphic design and art, too. She has attended many different art and design schools over time and this has helped her to create her style.

Why have I picked this photographer?Upon discovering this photographer I found her work very interesting and liked how diverse and broad her body of work is. Her has a visual quality to it that makes it stand out from other photographers/artists. I like a lot of the ideas and concepts she has in her work.

This first photo is from the collection that I found that lead me to research Pereira. I think it is so interesting and has almost has a confusing feel about that makes it more enticing to look at. The idea is so simple yet the effect at the end is so dramatic. I like the way the model has kept a blank expression on her face and it’s only through the use of the elastic around her face that she has become distorted looking and ‘weird’. The saturation in the photo has been decreased and lighting has only been used to light one side of the face. This has meant that the angles and shapes created on the face are made more prominent and more shadows and highlights have been created. I like the black sterile background that has been used as this has meant there is no distraction from the face. Pereira has also kept the eyes clear from distraction – this has made is more pleasing for the eye to look at and ensured that there is a clear focal point for the viewer.

This next photo is from an adverting campaign that Pereira shot. I love the sugar skull inspired makeup in the photo and the modern twist that she has taken with it – I think this photo looks fresh and contemporary. The makeup look is very heavy in the photo and the expression of the model has kind of been lost behind it, but because her eyes are connecting so well with the camera intensity has been added to the photo. There is a contrast in texture in the photo with the glossy hair against the more matte look of the skin. I think this photo has been created using a mirror effect and doubling one half the face, as everything in the photo is so perfect and symmetrical. There is a pop of bright colour around the eyes and on the lips and this has subtle ensured that the features of the model are not

lost behind the other wise dark colours in the photo. The background is simple and like the way the writing has gone behind the models head and this means she is still the focus in the shot.

This third photo is very different to anything I have looked at yet. There was a whole collection of photos just like this and this is just one of the ones that I liked. The image has been created by repeating lots of the same images so to create a pattern of some kind in the photo. There are no faces or expressions present in the photo and this has left it open to the viewer to decide how they feel about the photo. There are lots of interesting shapes that have been created in the photo with them all being put together; to me I think the legs kind of look like ostriches now. I like this photo as it is open to interpretation on what the viewer can ‘see’. It has taken a everyday situation and turned it into something more visually interesting for the audience.

This final photo is really interesting as it challenges the viewer’s perception of what they are looking at in the photo. The photo is in black and white and I think this has added to the emotions present in the photo, which to me are confusion and feelings connoting strange and weird ideas. I like the effect that has been added on the photo to make it look ‘repetitive’ in parts as well as the clearly defined shapes that has helped to make the photo look more distorted and unusual. I think the photo has quality to it that gives the viewer the idea of a parallel universe. I like the way the model seems distant in the photo yet has still remained the focal point in the image; this is due to her position in the photo behind the lightest colour in the picture. I think the photo has a cool, contemporary vibe about it.

InfluenceI really liked looking at Pereira’s work and think it has a nice contemporary edge over other photographers I have looked at. Her innovative way to use the body has caught my attention as this can link in with my own project and something that has got me thinking about how I can develop my own maturing style. I really liked the last two photos I look at and the images have been manipulated to completely change the overall outcome. I also really like the first photo that I looked at because of the distortion on the face and how unique the idea was, yet so simple.

SummaryOverall I am interested in Natalia Pereira’s work and think it has provided me with a nice insight for my own project. Her work has really made me think about how I can manipulate the body and this could be key to my project.