This personal project was hard to decide on as there is such a massive diversity and subjects to illustrate and talk about. In my photoshoot I am aiming to break the boundaries of traditional skating fashion, this is by having my model wearing high heels which completely contrasts with skateboarding. Throughout my first year of fashion photography I have gathered that I really like to merge, contrasts and collaborate different ideas to make a brand new one. 

Fashion within the culture of skateboarding consists of comfortable, practical, loose clothing that doesn’t restrict movement and are easy to move around in. Cargo pants which is what I chose my model to wear are traditional skate trousers due to their loose fit, durability and settling look. Furthermore, I wanted to incorporate authentic skateboarding fashion/ style through the cargo trousers. This highly contrasts with the pair of heels which is a completely unconventional pair of shoes to skate in. For instance, the purpose of high heels is to make a woman taller, creates a sense of dominance, makes them feel more attractive by emphasising their legs and general human body. On the other hand, skating shoes aim to bring a comfortable, flexible and supportive aim where there is a great grip at the bottom in order to perform tricks and have balance. 

Let’s start at breaking up my first photograph. The monochrome look gives the shoot a mystery of all the colours and the viewer to guess what is happening in this theme. The audience can clearly see that my subject is wearing heels, cargo pants, a high-end brand top (Yves Saint Laurent). I had him laying down on the floor, relaxed and having his skateboard under his head showing his passion towards skateboarding. He directly gazes towards the camera whilst wearing sunglasses creating a sense of mystery due to the absence of his eyes within the shot. Lastly the feminine pose he takes on strongly links the footwear my model is wearing. Together these two elements complement each other, and overall contrasts with the environment, traditional style and skateboarding culture.

My second photograph is showing the model’s environment which is the skatepark. In this shot I can see that the pink tent behind my subject blend in perfectly with the pink t-shirt he wears. He pulls a feminine pose by having his hand running through his hair and by not looking at the camera the audience can suspect that he is ashamed or uncomfortable with what he is wearing. 

The third photograph shows the connection that my subject has with skateboarding. He is practically hugging his deck. The close placement of the board to himself shows the passion he has. He is placed on top of a ramp and I was taking the photo from below him to show his dominance and status. This photo is once again printed in black and white and that means balance. Its only made out of two colours. The power of emotions in monochrome photography looks more formal and serious, and while the photo can look simpler, the mood of it is more intense. The absence of colour allows concentrating on the subject without any distracting elements. By him having heels in a black and white photograph, it makes his style “normal” for him and the glasses are lowered down which further reveals his persona.

In the next photo you can see his posture, he is proud of what he is wearing, and his position adds attitude and character to the shot. This validates the opinion of others by wearing something that is highly not accepted in the skating culture. It is unlikely to see anybody casually go to the skatepark and skate comfortably in high heels. That is how he is breaking the boundaries and breaks the acceptance of new ideas towards the fashion of skating. 

The photo after it is really similar and has the same purpose of the second photograph. The skateboards are literally scattered around his legs showing he feels like he owns the new idea of wearing heels in the skatepark.

I wanted to finish off with a close up of my subject wearing the heels with a skateboard by his side. He is up on a ramp called “the volcano”. His position makes him look as if he explodes upwards and is so confident with his sense of footwear he is wearing. By having the shoes un-done it shows that he is partly insecure about him wearing them in a skatepark and proudly posing in them. I chose not to have his upper body in the photograph because I wanted the audience to focus on the focal point which is the footwear and the skateboard. O wanted to remind my audience one last time what this shoot is about and the message of breaking the line of what can people wear in a skatepark and not be unaccepted because of what they decide to put on.