Shoot Plan -

Had this typed up and ready to go for the past week just forgot about it.

This was my final shoot plan for the Drugs photoshoot. In order to get a full and more simplistic idea of how to plan out how it would all go I printed out the PDF files and draw upon them -

Following my plans the photoshoot came out very well as mentioned before.

Photoshoot Results - Various

While I have neglected this blog some what, it is not because I have forgotton about the work more that I have been working on the actual Photography side of things.

I have completed my photoshoots for this project as well as the post production work. It has come out much better than expected.

While I could not complete the project as I origionally intended the second ideas and results have come out well.

I decided to use only Cocaine, Heroin, Crystal Meth & Marijuana showing the adverse affects of each.

As mentioned before these are the ideas and concepts behind each photograph -

Cocaine -

Over use and continual use of cocain will cause your septum to literally fall out. This is what I tried to portray in the photographs.

Crystal Meth -

This was quite easy to show, brusing and scabs are common amogst Crystal Meth addicts as well as premature ageing.

Heroin -

To start with I wanted to use a child or young adult to create a larger sense of shock. However I could not, instead I used a young woman to represent it. I wanted to show how flithy and terrible the drug really is.

Marijuana -

While many believe that Marijuana is not a 'bad' drug and it is used widely as well as legal in some locations around the world. However continual long term use can cause various mental side affects.

I believe I showed this quite well in the photographs, using a selection of 3 photographs, I created a composition of different emotions. Laughter, was followed by the munchies and finally by paranoia.

*Final photograph will be in black and white as per breif.

Photoshoot #1 - Mary Jane

I have planned to do the photoshoot for the Mary Jane/Cannabis photoshoot for this coming weekend.

For this shoot I will be using an assistant as I am certain I will need help in photographing smoke as well as getting the compositon correct.

The Drugs - Crystal Meth - Tina

Arguably one of the most dangerous drugs ever discovered. Simply because of its extremley high addictive qualities and how it physically affects the body. The long term effects of crytsal meth on the brain and nervous system have been compared to Parkisons & Alzheimers. Physically it causes skin cell degredation, tooth decay, rotting gums; so much so that when addicts attempt to stop they severly harm themselves with their own bodies without realising. This leads to physical disfiguration.

In just two and a half years this woman appears to have aged 25 years.


Idea -
The idea was to show how dirty and dangerous the drug is.


1st Shot -
In the first shot I will show someone taking the drug through the regular means. Though focusing on the dirty side


2nd Shot -
In the second shot I will show what can happen when a meth addict has to go without for a short time.


For this I was going to show the back of a female covered in brusies and deep scratches.
Long dirty fingernails, natty damaged hair.

The Drugs - Acid - Sid

I will be looking into the effects of LSD Acid in this section. The use of LSD became popular during the 70s because of its phsycadellic qualities and was enjoyed by most as it did not tend to alter your decision making or general personality like other hard drugs can. Acid simply 'enhanced' how you viewed the day.

However everyone has heard to horror stories about jumping out of windows and the like. What most people do not realise is that LSD was not the cause of the people jumping out windows it was that they genuinely did want to jump out of a window.

I have spoken to a few people who have take LSD in the past and each person says 'It is a powerful and amazing drug, when used correctly and sensibly. Its not a party drug like pills its a gateway to your own mind'.

When researching the negative side effects of Acid I found that there where no major ill affects as with other hard drugs. The worst effect I could find was a 'condition' known as flashbacks, where an object or location could trigger a flashback to when you last took LSD bringing back all the same feelings as well.

However because it is such a powerful hallucinogenic bad trips can occur, though these are just manifestations of your own thoughts perceived visually.

I will attempt to show the affects of acid via photography.

For the first photograph I will attempt to show a good trip possibly through the Acid heads eyes showing his friends.

For the second photograph I will either show a bad trip or what I think might be better and more interesting is to show an Acid Flashback.

For example showing the same person during his regular day though being followed by haunting thoughts.

The Drugs - Heroin - Hazel

Again similarly to the other drugs I have chosen im going to go down the route of first time and last time.


My idea was to show the first time sitting in a nice clean house, clean people, clean needles, clean spoon. Focusing on the clean aspect of it all.


1st Composition -
Face on wide-ish angle possibly a 35mm/50mm lens - slight low angle
Relaxing look leaning back head rested on the back of sofa
Small table infront of sofa with the relevant parafinallia. Inc needles, spoon, wrap etc..


2nd Composition -
Gutter, lying down in own vomit (lumpy), dirty needles, flithy spoon, tin foil, burnt crap flithy lighter & hands. Focus on the flithy aspect.
Dead look on face.

The Drugs - MDMA - Mandy

Here I will talk about he classic party drug MDMA or Extacy also known as Mandy. Each year thousands of people take MDMA to enhance the experience of music usually within a club environment.


My idea for this drug was to take the classic cliche photograph of people clubbing showing them having a good time.

Though this may be difficult to portray via black and white, I though of instead of mulitple colours using different levels of extreme contrast.


My idea for the second shot based on how drugs can easily alter your decision making skills. Like the choice to drive home still buzzing on MDMA. Again I realise this may be difficult to produce without colour however I will use the same technique as above.