Clown Photography Critique
Welcome back to professional photo critique! I must admit. Lately, I have been clown-ing around. (You’ll understand if you read the entire post).
Since the last post, I’ve been working as a professor at Chico State University in Northern California and my classes have kept me extremely busy. I teach Intro, Intermediate and Advanced Studio Photography, Social Media Photography, am the advisor for the photography club on campus, run the student photography gallery and maintain the commercial studio. If this wasn’t enough, I still am a working commercial photographer and began law school this last year.
But honestly, that’s no excuse for neglecting this blog and your many, many submissions. As soon as I get my life back, our crew will get back to evaluating your submissions. We enjoy providing feedback to help you along your photography journey. As I’ve often said to my students, if you want someone to tell you your work is good, show it to your mother. If you want someone who can find something you might be able to improve upon, bring it to me. Keep sending your submissions and we’ll be on it as soon as we can.
INSTEAD OF ME CRITIQUING YOU,
IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO CRITIQUE ME.
I’ve wanted to do a clown series for about eight years. As I discussed in my video about the post production of the piece, I posted on clown forums asking for help. Clown forums? Yea, they exist. Haha! I offered up to a thousand dollars to photograph clowns in various situations. The problem was that I wanted a darker vibe.
The only work of darker clowns at the time (circa 2009) was a series by Eolo Perfido. I’ve included a link here so that you can view his amazing work. I’ve been following him for years and was a little bummed that he had decided to tackle this subject matter in his series titled Clownville. I was happy to see he focused on portraits and I was envisioning something a little more environmental. I wanted to depict scenarios where you’d be thinking, “This is the LAST place I’d want to see a clown.” In fact, if any of you have any ideas for shooting locations, please mention them in the comments!
The vibe for my series is similar to that of the HBO series Carnival. I’m heavily influenced by literature, pop culture, film, tv shows, etc for my ideas. And this series is a combination of all of those sources. It’s like a patchwork quilt, where every patch represents a different source element. The outfit and styling comes from the vibe I got from Carnival.
BECOMING A CLOWN: PHASE 1
Before I could even begin thinking of clown scenarios, I had to get a costume and a mask. Why a mask? Have you ever tried putting clown makeup on? It’s a mess. It’s inconsistent. It’s hot. It’s… I could go on and on. And I’m lazy, I didn’t want to have to be dedicating so much time to makeup that I lost my enthusiasm for the shoot itself. After several failed attempts at makeup I decided I’d need a mask. I found a guy who makes silicone masks that are very realistic and would give me the consistency I was looking for. The folks at Shattered FX supplied had the answer. But the answer cost $1,100.
The only other thing I needed besides the outfit were clown shoes. There are cheap ones that are plastic all over Amazon but I wanted something a little more organic feeling. And shoes are an important element to achieve a believable clown persona. I found a cobbler in Massachusetts, called Spears Specialty Shoe Company who makes custom shoes for circus clowns. He had the answer in a pair of distressed wingtips. You can see them here at his website. Being a clown is not a cheap goal. The shoes cost $550. Because a clown isn’t a clown without abnormal and goofy shoes, I had to have those. I wouldn’t be nearly as creepy wearing my Cons.
The last step to completing my image was my outfit. I have struggled with the exact look, whether or not to change outfits to fit the environments and many other questions about clothing. I turned to a friend of mine and former client to see if she had any advice. We’re still going back and forth on nailing down my exact look but I’m close to solidifying the look. I found the inspiring pieces at Alter Ego, a local costume shop in Chico, California. Cost of rental for a couple of weeks was $67.00. The total spent on my clown series is $1717.00.
FOCUSING THE CONCEPT: PHASE 2
I make lists. They help me organize my thoughts and remember what my thoughts were! I’ve dreamed about really interesting concepts and being the lazy sleep slug that I am, elected instead to write them down in the morning because I didn’t want to disturb my comfort. And of course in the morning I couldn’t remember a thing. The genius stroke of inspiration was gone forever. There are many, many ideas I’ve had that I will never think again. I now keep a small notebook on my nightstand and I write down any and every weird thing I think of at night.
I decided on a name for my character – Whipplestitch. I patterned it after the famous clown names that I’ve come to fear, namely Pennywise and Beetlejuice. I liked the sound of the names as well as how the syllables worked. Once I had the name, I felt it should be used in a title that would enable me to have a lengthy series. I settled on “The Curious Wanderings of Whipplestitch.”
I wanted to be able to place Whipplestitch in environments where one would naturally feel vulnerable. (In a parking garage late at night, running along a path alone in the forest, sitting in a bathroom stall, alone in a library, etc.) But the series should start at a place where clowns originate – either a circus or carnival. Fortunately, a small carnival came to the parking lot near the mall.
I went to ask the manager permission to shoot on the property and after hearing about my idea, he declined. He didn’t want me on his property. I offered him a couple hundred dollars in order to be photographed once the park was closed and again he turned me down. He said that tripods were not allowed because he didn’t want anyone photographing the children. His position was understandable, but I would be the least of his worries. People with cell phones recording in HD and posting it online to social media like IG and Snapchat were flying under his radar.
PHOTOGRAPHING THE CLOWN: PHASE 3
The weather was overcast and I’d spent most of the day preparing for a 10-15 minute shoot. Because I needed a decoy to use as a focusing prop and to check lighting, I contacted one of my students who is interested in off camera lighting to see if he’d be willing to assist. He agreed and we met up at the parking lot just outside the carnival’s perimeter. I set the lights up and quickly dressed. The mask was very heavy and I realized immediately that I was going to be sweating profusely. With sweat dripping down the inside of my mask and struggling to balance the ambient light, the light of the carousel and the strobe, I was getting frustrated. The wind (which was totally non existent) kept blowing the balloon straight down. The balloon failure was the last straw. I let go of the string and watched it drift into the storm.
POST PRODUCTION: PHASE 4
FINAL IMAGE: PHASE 5
“Welcome.”
Canon 5d mark IV. Sigma Art 85mm f1.4 f6.3 1/50 ISO 400
I would love to hear your feedback. Please leave comments and suggestions for locations that you think would be ideal for a character like Whipplestitch! You can also follow the series on Instagram. @Whipplestitch
March 31, 2018 @ 3:03 am
Aaron, you’re gonna want some props, like a fire axe, chainsaw, blowtorch, you can take it from there….
Have you heard of the Clown Motel? Its in Tonapah nev. Check it out.
A creepy location would be a slaughterhouse with lotsa meat hanging on hooks.
March 31, 2018 @ 7:14 pm
LOVE the slaughterhouse idea! I’ll have to find a place that would let me photograph there! Any ideas? I have NOT heard of the Clown Motel, I’ll have to check that out. But I’m totally willing to travel if it’s a good creepy location.
April 13, 2018 @ 7:08 am
I Ьet hes PERFЕCT at it!? Laughed Larry.
April 29, 2018 @ 6:35 am
Critique for Photography Class
Location: I really like the site you chose, but the post editing made the difference for sure. First, taking out the cars/parking lot made a big difference in the mood of the photo and aids in making the location seem more isolated. The rule of thirds is works with the carousel and the clown who also creates a greater depth of field. I don’t think your image would have had the same effect if you took the shot closer or on the grounds of the carnival. There is more of a story with a clown standing in the field. The balloon adds an extra effect that allows the audience to try to put together a story. Did the balloon belong to a child he killed or stole if from? Is the balloon something that appears before he kills someone? And any image that makes you ask questions is a great image and artwork.
Color Grading: There is something off about the color grading in my opinion, but I can’t place it. I do like how the photo appears to be a matte finish; this helps set the mood and makes the picture seem dingier. It would have been cool if there was a little bit more of the carnival in the background showing (I’m sure it was a small carnival). If it was bigger you could have incorporated more colors and patterns. All in all, the end result works! I’m sure there was a lot of different ways you could have done this picture, but the placement of everything works great!!
Costume: Costume is on point!! Switching the color of the jacket fit the tone/mood of the entire image. I might have played with the hands a little, either by making the fingers have long nails or seem distorted to take away the average hands. For some reason, the human hands took away from the element of a scary clown for me. It brought me back to the realization that this was a human in a clown costume. Even though you can’t see the detail of the mask up close, the darkness of the eyes and the lines coming down still adds an element of darkness. Detail is very important and this picture has a lot of it!
Lighting: You can see the soft lighting on the clown mask and the balloon. It perfectly replicates the light of the moon with the large catchlights. The entire lighting as a whole is dull, but it works with the image. It’s a cloudy dark day, with a clown in the field. It works! I think maybe the contrast could have been bumped up a bit, but not too much that it takes away from the dull effect of the image.
Texture: The texture of the shot is brilliant: The tree leaves coming in from the corner, the grass and the shadows from the light, as well as the trees in the background. The different patterns, colors and the hair on the mask help bring the photo to life and add even more depth. I also like that there are all different kinds of trees instead of just one. It helps isolate the carnival and make it seem like it’s in the middle of nowhere.
May 1, 2018 @ 8:15 pm
Overall this is a strong image there are however a few things that could be improved upon. First, the color grading although done well is to flat. It has a monochromatic quality which for this image doesn’t quite work. More patches of color would elevate the composition. More vibrancy would juxtapose nicely with the overall mood of the image.
The placement of the figure is too close to the foreground. Placing the figure further within the composition would create a sense of depth that is missing and also increase the creep factor by making the figure difficult to make out. The balloon is to close to the top of the image. Normally this kind of closeness to an edge would be a good source of tension but in this image it doesn’t hit the mark. Moving the figure back would allow space to exist above the balloon. The pose of the figure would be more successful without the arms spread out. Having the figure with arms relaxed to the side and with slightly elevated shoulders would be a more sinister pose. The figure squared up with the camera and head tilted down slightly would complete the look.
The location is good but there are a few things that could be improved. The carnival is an excellent choice as a background, however it actually feels a bit out of place. I think it’s due to it being off center and slightly obscured by the tree branches on the left. It’s also slightly skewed and not level with the picture plane. The grass in the foreground is missing contrast. It looks flat and too boring. The right side of the image is too open relative to the left side. Some sort of object on the right would balance the overall image, It would also serve to focus the attention on the figure. The sky could also use more contrast. I understand this isn’t under the control of the photographer most of the time but if possible waiting for a time when there’s some slight overcast weather would be ideal. I’m imagining a sky with some thunderstorm clouds but with patches of light shining through. A little more light would provide more flexibility to shape and mold it to fit the composition.
May 1, 2018 @ 8:41 pm
As far as concept goes, you did an excellent job with that. It has been universally accepted that clowns, depending on how exactly they are portrayed, can be one of the most creepy things ever. The makeup on their faces and outfit ensembles hide the person behind them and creep us out because we cannot tell if they are going to kill us or not when looking at them. You especially delivered this creepy vibe through how you set up your clown: creepy makeup, eerily formal but out of place clothing for a “regular” clown, and how the clown is composed and placed with the rest of the setting of the image (that being distant, but close enough to be the main element of the picture).
You picked a fantastic setting for this shot.I remember in class you saying that you wanted to get the shot actually inside of the circus but they wouldn’t let you because they didn’t want clowns there (ironic), but I believe the actual distance between the clown and the actual circus ground works perfectly for the creepy vibes you are trying to convey with this. When you see clowns at a circus, it’s somewhat normal and you do not think too much about it (unless you are extremely scared of clowns of course). However; when you see a clown away from the circus, it makes you wonder a great many deal of things: What is this clown doing away from its post, is this clown one separate from the actual circus, if this clown sees me is it going to kill me, etc.
The both muted lighting and muted colors combine well with your creepy clown, and both of them together here almost make this shot look like a painting! When I think creepy, may possibly kill me clowns, I do not think of bright and cheery lights with vivid and happy colors around. No, when I close my eyes and think of creepy clowns, I think of this type of lighting and colors. The colors and lighting harmonize beautifully in this shot. Overall excellent exposure, not too bright, and not too dark. Just the right amount of exposure to deliver a feeling of eeriness.
I want to talk about the balloon for a bit here. While the clown in itself is creepy and makes me want to hide somewhere that it won’t find me, the balloon makes me feel something different and I am not quite sure what it is. Sounds weird, I know. The balloon does not specifically give a message and is completely ambiguous. Why was the clown holding it? Why did the clown let go of it? Why did the clown bring the red balloon so far away from the circus (assuming he was there in the first place), and just to let it go? Does the red color of the balloon mean anything to the message being conveyed? So many interpretations, but nothing concrete, can be extrapolated from the existence and placement of this balloon and I want to keep staring at it for a while until I figure out what it is doing there.
Excellent shoot, Aaron! And Honestly you couldn’t have picked a better time for this shoot. Especially with the clown scare a little bit less than a year ago, with all of the clowns roaming different parts of isolated forests/areas that people recorded around them, not sure if you heard about that or not. Anyways, I cannot wait to see more shoots like this from you.