Slinkachu started back in 2006, a project called "little people project." the creator of these photos uses little model characters and photographs them in a certain scene and leaves them out in the streets of London. His aim is to show people what it is like living in a big city, and makes all of his pictures have a deeper meaning and tell a story of their own, this is why slinkachu is so fascinating, it is very unique from anything else, and while he is trying to tell a story through his artwork, it always has that little bit of humour in it aswell. Although little is known about the photographer himself, we know that this is something you don't see everyday and his pictures are different from any other photographer.
Some Examples of Slinkachu:
Favourite Pictures:
This image is one of my personal favourites, because of how the shot is taken, it shows a man with an umbrella walking home on a rainy day, This picture uses a small depth of field, therefore the focus point is on the man holding the Umbrella and not the surrounding area. The photographer also considers the rule of thirds by placing the man on a bottom focus point instead of the centre which gives the photo a more powerful effect.
I also like this picture because it has a clear meaning to it. This picture shows the problems that are affecting people around the world to do with poverty and illness, This picture does it in a clever way by stacking tablets to show the message of poverty and illness in poorer countries. But at the same time he also adds abit of humour to it, by making a huge tower of tablets instead of just one, to add that extra bit of humour to it. This picture also uses a small depth of field which makes the focus point on the child and the woman, and puts the background out of focus. The rule of thirds is also considered as the photographer puts the woman on a powerspot which draws your eyes straight to the woman.
Least Favourite Pictures
I dislike this picture because to me the meaning is very unclear, it is a man lying down and above him is a pink leaf. It may be that the man at the bottom of the picture is falling, or he fell from a tree or something simmilar to that. Overall this picture is very unpleasing to look at, the picture looks quite simplistic but it just doesn't get the point across.
I dislike this picture because to me I don't think it has a good meaning to it, the picture is of two deers near cigarettes but the actual meaning is unclear. I think this picture would of been better if it was the deer's in a wildlife scenario without the cigarettes, because deer's in a city environment make no sense for me and the cigarettes make no sense either.
Overall I think this picture just has no meaning and it would be better in a different environment. Slinkachu is about putting things you ususally don't see into a city environment, but to me I just don't like the overall meaning to it.
My work insipired by Slinkachu:
Photoshoot 1:
Worst Image (Photoshoot 1)
I dislike this picture because it is very plain. There is no meaning to it at all, and the picture is over exposed. This picture fails to "wow" you, and although this was the first picture I took, I feel as if I could have done a lot better on this photo.
Best Image (Photoshoot 1)
I like this picture because the environment it was taken in, I placed the man on the leaf surrounded by the water drops and used a small depth of field in the background. This Picture really stands out and is appealing to look at. The only bad thing about this photo is that I used too much blu-tac when sticking down the man, but I mainly had to do this because it wouldnt stand up because the leaf was wet.
Photoshoot 2:
First Photo/Ideas:
I started off this time with a tree and a character, I wanted to get this sort of alone and in the middle of nowhere feeling. I placed a tree down and a character in the dirt, but I realised that there needed to be more of a story to this then a tree and a character.
Further Ideas/Progression
I now tried to add a story to my photo, I decided I should create a death scene that has happened in the middle of nowhere and there is no help to be seen. so I decided that the tree should crush the character and create the death scene. This Image would tell alot more of a clear story if I was able to get hold of red paint to make blood and possibly create a little gun to show that maybe a suicide has happened. I will do this next time to progress and really show a true story.
Mindmap
Mindmap and Planning:
The mindmap we created would help us to think of ideas for our slinakchu shoots, because I had alot of ideas in mind, I kept it fairly simple. I really wanted to evaluate on my last photo with the main idea of a man being killed by a falling tree with blood surrounding him showing death. This way I have an idea that is in the style of Slinkachu and tells a story like it should. but the mindmap can always help me if I need a Plan B or if I have finished my main idea and need more ideas of slinkachu to create.
Overall I hope to re-create my previous idea of a man who has been crushed by a tree but this mindmap can ome very useful if I need more ideas of what to create in the future.
Checklist for photoshoot:
One Fake Tree
One Slinkachu Figure
Fake blood or red paint
The idea I have Is fairly simple. It does not require much to create, and this is a good thing, but can also be a bad thing. It can be a good because it isn't overly complicated and is simple but yet shows a clear story that you can understand as soon as you luck at it, but it can be a bad thing becaue when you look at it, it doesn't necessarily "WOW" you, I personally think it needs a prop that I should make myself, over props that are already made, But I will be sure to do this after my current idea.
Photoshoot 3:
I finally added the fake blood, I am really happy with the final photo. It does look a lot better with the blood as it really shows the true story.
I believe that this is my final product of this photo and I need to move on as I need something that can "WOW" abit more as I believe I should make my own props and create a photo using my own resources.
Photoshoot 4:
Worst photo (Photoshoot 4)
This is my worst photo from this photoshoot, because the picture is too over exposed and has incorrect white balance. It would of been much better if I changed the white balance and took the shot more steady and with a correct focus point.
Best photo (Photoshoot 4)
This my favourite photo from this photshoot, I love how the colours pop into the background and the colouring of the photo itself. the Photo is really clear and does not lack in detail, and it really does tell a story. I would say my only weakness is how the wood is too bright, and that could possibly mean the picture is a little bit over exposed, but overall I would say I am very happy with this photo, Also the swing in the photo I created out of three sticks glued together and a brown string.
If I was to retake this photo again, I would change the white balance and the exposure a little bit because the photo has a warmer filter than what it actually looked like and I would change the exposure because of the brightness of the wood in the photo looks quite over exposed. I would keep the small depth of field as this is in the style of Slinkachu and I would definitely use a different variety of locations instead of using just one single location because then I can have a wide range of photos with different locations to pick from and I can then get an even better photo than this one.