Photographer; Geraldine Georges

Geraldine Georges is a Belgian Illustrator/graphic designer who combines illustration and photography together. Geraldine worked as a graphic designer in various advertising agencies for 7 years. Towards the end of 2006, she started to work as a freelance illustrator.. Her works usually include a model in female form and captures the eye and imagination. She tries her best to transcribe emotions, find a perfect balance through the collages without falling into the trap of over- using Photoshop or other effects.

Geraldine Georges takes a different and innovative approach to this mixed media topic therefore interests me to try something new and to try the different techniques used. The subject which is a portrait photograph of a model is situated in the middle of the composition. She has a neutral expression and she is posed. Her head and left side of her neck and shoulder is present, along with her left hand up to her elbow, the rest of her body has been edited and cut around and placed on a blank, white background. The illustration is very simple, black and white and is placed more towards the right side. (as you would view it) The Photograph of the model is clearly shot in a studio, this then adds texture to the composition as the white background that the photograph has been placed over is quite flat. The illustration adds texture, due to the more complicated elements of it where it uses a more dark, bolder black tone. This particular photograph in the collection is more dominated by the illustration rather than the photography, however, others in her range are the other way round. Even though these pieces do not immediately portray a theme or a story it could represent something. The cross over the models eye could represent her feeling almost blind at what real beauty is, this then links with the distinct black spot where her hand is placed. This is near the heart, therefore representing her real beauty is within herself  and it is not all about the make up and beauty. 

This is another from Georges collection which is slightly different to the other photograph. This photograph is another portrait which contains a model who is central in the composition. The subject is posed facing to the left of the composition and her head is tilted upwards. This photograph is in black and white which compliments the illustration which has been composed in black. Within this composition, as well as the illustration there are body parts which have been placed over the top of the subjects profile. This is a different technique used by Georges which had to be done by computer (photoshop) with the different body parts placed around her face however the same technique used before with the illustration is still used. The use of the body parts adds more texture to the composition as well as the illustration which makes this particular Photograph in Georges collection more busy and the composition as a whole has more in it. This photograph could also have many meanings. The first one that comes to my mind as soon as I see this is, because of the body parts, it seems as if her body is strangling herself. Her hand that is placed on her head looks as if it is pulling her head back into the position. Again, this portrays a message of beauty and the torture of women to become beautiful. Her expression, with her mouth open shows a distressed and uncomfortable position and that she clearly does not like this being done to her. This could then portray that the illustration shows how to model really feels whilst doing this shoot, she feels uncomfortable, she doesn't want to be doing this, she is forced to go down this route. It seems like Georges uses her illustration to show more expression as they are not specific or detailed. It could be more of a creative expression or an emotional expression depending on the photograph.