Cool Art: Fantasy Lives to Everyday Lives by Dave Rawlinson

This is a test shot from my B.A Hons Project – Fantasy Lives to Everyday Lives. But because of lockdown, I couldn’t re-shoot so had to submit but it’s good image nonetheless under the circumstances. This is my idea shooting them in character in everyday situations to create a surreal image.

I wanted a breakfast shot of Steve Ford amazing guy in his Stormtrooper costume with his daughter. I waited for the moment for them to look at each other then took the shot. Also, the cereal box has an arrow pointing towards Steve which draws your view to him. Again I have lit this with my own lighting.

When am in someone else’s home I like to try & bring other elements of them into the image to. Like the 3 pictures you see on the wall are taken by Steve when he was in New York. We put Star Was on the tv & paused it on Darth Vader with Stormtroopers just add to the image instead of having a blank screen.

I positioned Steve in the doorway so he’s framed in the image. The framing starts at the skirting board on the left & along up the door frame around Steve & back down to the lines of the tv cabinet running out the frame. A frame within a frame type thing.

This is a 2 light set up one on Steve & another blue gelled light in the hallway backlighting Steve giving the impression he’s just arrived off a spaceship creating the Fantasy. Even Steve’s shadow getting cast onto the wall adds elements to the image especially as it’s Star Wars.

Now this is where I felt my project really started to take off this was 4/5 days before lockdown which ended my project, sad really but hoping to carry it on once all gets back to normal.

I had asked local businesses if I could shoot in there. I told them about my project & they had all agreed to it which was amazing.

This Martin Roberts as the Predator (his costume is amazing) in St. John’s Road laundrette. This was the idea in my head having the cosplayers in character in normal situations, I love this image. The laundrette was open as well whilst doing this shoot. I asked the manager to be in the image and to be loading the washing in the background oblivious to the Predator being there as if it’s just normal day as the world goes by outside.

This is a 2 light set up one on Martin & have placed a light gelled green in the mashing further down from Martin to break up the image & to cast onto the manager & machines opposite. The green also goes with the colour of the washing machine, I took influence from film director Wes Anderson about his play with colours in films.

You have all the leading lines from the bench martin is sitting on to washing machine lines, circular doors & even the lights on the ceiling.