Task One - Analysis

Peter Lindbergh, Kate Moss, Harper's Bazaar US, Long Island, NY, 1994

Our first task was to choose an iconic fashion image and analyse it through back research to gain a clear understanding of the narrative of the piece.

As I am not too familiar with fashion photography I first set out to research some notable photographers in the fashion field. I looked into Terence Donovan's work and his mixture of fashion and seemingly documentary photography. I also explored John French's style of reflecting natural light and using low contrast in his work along with his initial work with the Daily Express. 

Finally I came across the German photographer Peter Lindbergh. He intrigued me and with further research I discovered that he had done extensive work internationally for Vogue, starting in Italy, then England, France, Germany and, finally, America. He has also worked for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Allure, and Rolling Stone. 

Lindbergh is considered as the founder of the supermodel boom that characterized the 1980s and 1990s. His work went against the usual lavishness that typified the era as he avoided the heavy styling and excessive visual elements. 

The image I have chosen is his photograph of Kate Moss from Harper's Bazaar US in 1994. In this photograph Moss was only 20 years of age at still in the first stages of her modelling career. Lindbergh has portrayed Moss as candid and relaxed with an absence of striking, contorted poses or extravagant, dramatic expressions or costume which allows the appearance of the seemingly 'everyday woman' to show through. I feel that this image lets the natural beauty of a woman show through as there are no 'distractions' of makeup or copious costumes of props. 

So far I prefer this style of fashion photography as it does not divert from the real and it attempts to show the subject in a more natural, beautiful way.

Self Appraisals: Object

What is your understanding of issues related to Object?

My understanding of current issues within society are obtained through the regular reading of newspapers both in print and on the internet. 

I know that there are always issues within modern day society and most appear to be based firmly in politics. Whether it be the war in Iraq and Afghanistan or MP expenses or global warming. 

There are issues forever present in society, therefore it becomes hard to choose one to focus the project on.

What context would you place your work in?

We were required within this project to create an image based on a current issue within society. I chose to focus on the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan. My best friend is currently fighting for the British Army in Afghanistan and it was his youth that inspired my final piece. I wanted to focus on the youth within the British military but also how soldiers are constantly being sent out to fight with seemingly no regard for the devastation caused to them and their families if not all goes to plan.

What were the reasons behind your photographic choices? For instance, how do you think your visual choices translate to your ideas?

I chose to include real meat in my piece to create a 'shock' factor that would get people's attention as soon as they look at the piece. I also wanted the meat to represent the way it seems as though soldiers are thought of by the government: pieces of meat that are 'expendable'. The inclusion of the toy soldiers represents the youth of the soldiers both fighting and lost in the war. I included the poppy within the piece to symbolise the remembrance of the lost soldiers. 

How have you managed your studies?

I feel that I could have managed my studies better but my management of this unit was satisfactory.

What aspect of your shoot productions do you need to reflect upon and why?

I would like the chance to reshoot the piece of remove the distraction caused by my inclusion of the fake blood. After review by myself, my peers and my tutor, I feel that it is too much when used in conjunction with the other elements of my image. 

What has been the most significant challenge on these Units so far? – How can you overcome them in the future?

This was my first shoot using a large format camera and studio lighting and these were my biggest challenge so far. I feel that I can overcome this by getting some more practise with the equipment.

Self Appraisals: Body

What is your understanding of issues related to the body?

In society people will always have issues with the way they look and the way they are portrayed to others. It is quite common for a person to want to change an aspect of themselves in order to make themselves more 'acceptable'. However, there is also the issue of how some people are misjudged due to the way they look as they may harbour a completely different being inside them to what is apparent on the outside.

What context would you place your work in?

For this unit I was required to create a portrait of a person in order to represent an element of them. 
My subject had a background involving a career as a college lecturer so I decided to draw on that within my work.
I researched Yousuf Karsh for this project as he has completed numerous portraits of famous, well educated individuals such as Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.

What were the reasons behind your photographic choices? For instance, how do you think your visual choices translate to your ideas?

We were required to shoot in black and white meaning that composition and positioning would be key to creating a successful image. Due to this I asked my subject to wear a formal suit so as to uphold the look of an educated gentleman. I positioned him standing up with his hands neatly in his pockets to give him the appearance of a college professor. I did not include direct eye contact with the camera in order for the subject to appear as though he was deep in thought and not considering the camera at all.

How have you managed your studies?

I do not feel that I managed my studies perfectly but I do think I managed them effectively so as to produce a satisfactory project.

What aspect of your shoot productions do you need to reflect upon and why?

I feel that I may have liked to try different compositions and positioning with my model and maybe include the use of props for a clearer display of his background.

What has been the most significant challenge on these Units so far? – How can you overcome them in the future?

The most significant challenge on this unit in particular was getting used to the lighting setups and how different positions of the lights and reflectors can produce drastically different outcomes in the final piece. 

Self Appraisals: Environment

What is your understanding of issues related to the Environment?

There are currently many issues related to the natural environment. One of the main topics in relation to the concerns about the environment is that of global warming. It has been suggested that the surface temperature of the Earth will increase by between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21^st century. There are believed to be some small natural causes involved, however it has been shown that man made elements such as the burning of fossil fuels also contribute hugely to the problem.  

What context would you place your work in?

For this project I was required to produce a set of three images that successfully displayed my views on the issue related to the natural environment. I could choose to follow a number of different aspects from the political side of the natural environment to the human intervention within the landscape.

I chose to focus on the intervention of humans within the natural landscape and how it ‘disrupts’ the natural beauty of the place around it.

For this unit I chose to look at the photographers John Davis and Edward Burtynsky as their work appeared to focus on similar aspects of the natural landscape as I wished my own to.

What were the reasons behind your photographic choices? For instance, how do you think your visual choices translate to your ideas?

To begin with I shot my photos in black and white as they reflected the colour context one of my previously researched photographers had used. However, after some constructive feedback, I changed to shooting in colour so as to contrast the stark greys, blacks and browns of the factories against the lush greens and blues of the natural landscape.

I endeavoured to use a shallow depth of field for my photos so as to make the landscape appear to be disappearing into the background and the industrial elements in sharp focus so as to make them the central focus of the piece.

I also tried to take my photographs on days when there was a lot of light present so as to illuminate my subjects more and give the colours a stronger presence within the final images.

How have you managed your studies?

I managed my studies by trying to structure times for my blog work as well as for going out to shoot and also for printing. I have a lot of elements to work around in my life however I feel that I managed to plan successfully, but not perfectly around them.

What aspect of your shoot productions do you need to reflect upon and why?

I feel that I need to plan specific days for writing up my progress more carefully so as to engage in the full potential I can offer. I also believe that I need to practise more with the equipment I have been using I order to gain a better understanding of how it works and how to operate it.

What has been the most significant challenge on these Units so far? – How can you overcome them in the future?

The most significant challenges in the units so far have been learning to use the equipment and being able to use it effectively and successfully. I feel that I simply need more experience with the cameras etc to be able to produce better results. 

Object Tutorial and Development

Object Development and Tutorial, 6^th October 2011

Development

After compiling primary research my next task was to come up with an idea that would display the subject I had chosen. My first thought was to identify objects that are commonly associated with military and military memorial. The two initial items I decided to work with were a poppy and a toy soldier. Below are my initial thoughts on the connotations the above items could hold in relation to my project:

Toy Soldier: This could be a clear representation of the military but also could represent the youth of soldiers as well. It may also represent the way soldiers are ‘manipulated’ by a higher chain of command.

Poppy: A symbol of remembrance. The vivid red colour symbolises the danger of war and also could represent the blood that was shed within.  The fact that the poppy would be larger than the toy soldier could be used to show that, no matter how small each death of a soldier may seem, they will always be remembered hugely.

I wasn’t too sure about composition at this point but I knew exactly what message I wanted to put across and from there I went into my object tutorial.

Object Tutorial

In my tutorial I introduced my idea and the reasoning behind it. After some discussions I was told that my initial idea provided a good foundation to build upon and from there I made the following improvements to my initial idea:

o   Meat: This would be to represent the waste of human life created by war and how some ‘higher authorities’ may view soldiers as ‘expendable’ even though they may not admit it.

o   Blood (Fake): This is to represent the blood spilt by soldiers fighting for their country. Also the red will be a prominent colour within my final piece.

o   Poppy: I kept this from my original, the red matches that of the blood and it also is a strong symbol of remembrance.

o   Toy Soldiers: These were also kept from my original idea. They represent the soldiers themselves and also the youth within the army.

o   Map/Globe: This would represent the fact that war causes losses all around the world.

Reflection

I feel like I got a lot from the tutorial and it has helped me to create a more complex and interesting final idea. 

Backtracking: Environment

Initial Ideas

For this project we were required to produce a set of three images that effectively displayed an understanding of an issue or aspect within the natural environment.
There are many things that affect the environment such as the burning of fossil fuels which in turn have been accused of aiding the process of global warming, the human intervention within the landscape, fuel shortages and deforestation. The aforementioned issues are only a very small proportion of elements that introduce problems to the natural environment.

1. My first idea focused on the subject of oil and mining fossil fuels. I began to look for photographers that had explored the subject for themselves. The first photographer I came across was Edward Burtynsky. Burtynsky focuses on how the natural landscape has been transformed through industry. Although I liked this idea I did not feel that I could proceed further with it as I did not have strong enough ideas to create a successful scheme of work.

2. My second idea was similar to the first. I considered looking at the impact manmade structures has had on the impact and how they 'disrupt' the beauty of the nature around them. To begin with I could not find any photographers to research for my cause. However I did consider taking another look at Burtynsky's work as it had some similarities to what I was trying to achieve.

Final Ideas

After carefully considering both of my ideas I decided to continue forward with my idea of man's industrial intrusion into otherwise picturesque landscape around it. I had a good idea of places I could go to take the images I desired but, however, I still lacked a photographer from which to draw influence. From here I went into my tutorial with my idea and hoped the feedback wold be both positive and constructive.

Tutorial and Development

In my tutorial I presented my initial idea and was told that I needed to have a clearer idea about how I wanted to portray the industrial parts of the landscape in relation to the natural parts. Before this I had considered introducing wind farms and electrical pylons into my photographs but, after my tutorial, I decided that they were not appropriate for the message I wanted to portray and decided to carry forward the idea of factories and big industrial plants within the landscape instead.
A photographer was also suggested for me to research. His name was John Davis.
From this tutorial I was able to continue my research and develop my ideas more.

Research

My first area to research was that of the work of John Davis. One of his bodies of work focuses on the area around the Durham Coal Mine and displays one of industry's effects on the landscape. Davis has many times been referred to as a narrative landscape photographer. This work in particular was commissioned as part of a 1983 exhibition from Amber and Side depicting their response to upcoming conflict between miners and the British government over the future of the coal industry.

I also looked into his 1979-2009 series called the British Isles. These photos gave me the inspiration for my first attempt at the series of photos. The image on the left and right show industrial buildings in the natural landscape. In my opinion they seem to disrupt the flow of the natural spaces around them. 

This is the type of composition I wanted to achieve within my final series of environment photographs.

Review

I presented my initial results in a review in November. They were not as good as I has first hoped they would be as I had not had enough experience using the camera or in the process of printing. I also knew that my composition needed some improvement as there was no consistency in the distancing from the subjects and the lighting conditions in which they were taken. Many of my original negatives were either overexposed or underexposed causing the prints to fall below the expectations I, and others, had for them. From this I decided that reshooting my project again would be my best chance to improve upon the previous results.

Re-Shoots

As a result of my review, I now had to go back and retake the photos for this project once more. My first reshoot came on the 30th of November.
I first travelled to Aylesford to retake the photos of the newsprint that is situated behind a large expanse of farmers land.
Then I travelled to Brooklands Lake to take images of the paper mill next to a peaceful fishing lake.
I struggled for a while with a third industrial building to photograph. My boyfriend and I took a day trip to the Isle of Sheppey to photograph some of the factories there. However these were situated within an industrial estate and were therefore not really what I needed to photograph.
For the time being, I made do with the images of the two factories I had found and concentrated on printing them. However, when I came to print I was not happy with the composition or the appropriate sharpness of the images so I decided to reshoot again.
My next reshoot came at the start of December with a Bronica ETRS that I had been bought as a present. To begin with I got on well with the camera and managed to redo the shoots I was initially unhappy with. However, when it came to printing again I was still not satisfied with the results and therefore has to wait until after the Christmas holidays to shoot again due to lack of equipment.
My final reshoot came on the 10th of January. I returned again to Aylesford and Brooklands Lake to reshoot the factories, and managed to find a third factory to shoot in Burham Court. When it came to processing and printing this set of images I was much happier with the results and was therefore able to print some satisfactory prints.

Backtracking: Environment - The City

Introduction

For this project it was required that we take a series of three photos using our own brief on the city environment. We were also given one pastiche image from another photographer to reproduce as our own.

Pastiche

For my first task I had to choose one of three pastiche images to produce my own version of. Of the three given I chose Paris After Dark, No. 27 by Brassai taken in 1933.

Brassai was a Hungarian photographer born in 1899. In 1924 he moved to Paris and became a journalist. He published his first book in 1933 called "Paris de nuit", which made him famous worldwide.

Most of Brassai’s work seems to be taken at night using naturally occurring light to provide illumination to his images.

Paris After Dark No. 27 enters the viewer into a narrow alley in what appears to be late evening or night and it also becomes apparent from the reflections on the cobbled pavements that it has been raining. The shadows at the far end, scarcely illuminated by the hotel sign give the piece a very mysterious feel, it is not immediately apparent as to what is at the end of the alley. The large depth of field gives the feel that you are actually in the photograph rather than just on the outside looking at it.

For my attempt at the pastiche I travelled to Maidstone, which is quite local to me, at midnight on the 30^th of November so as to hopefully get the perfect settings for my photo.

4 layers of clothing, one scarf, one hat, a pair of gloves and 2 minutes out the front door of my boyfriend’s house later I realised what a long cold night I had ahead of me. Armed with a Mamiya RZ, numerous rolls of film and a notepad my boyfriend and I travelled to Maidstone trying to find the most deserted places possible so as to be able to take the photos without disruption. It was tough finding streets that were suitably lit but at the same time suitably dark to match Brassai’s image. The specifications below are for the shots I took in Maidstone:

1.       8 seconds, f. 4.0 and 3 tenths

2.       8 seconds, f. 11 and 5 tenths

3.       8 seconds, f. 4.0 and 3 tenths

4.       15 seconds, f. 4.0

5.       15 seconds, f. 4.0

6.       60 seconds, f. 22 and 9 tenths

7.       30 seconds, f. 5.6

Below are the negatives and contact sheet from my expedition:

Initially I was happy with the outcome as this was the first time I had shot with no daylight present. However I would also like the chance to take the images again and try and fit them even more to the original pastiche.

Initial Ideas

One of the first ideas I wanted to pursue was one on the style of the artist Rut Blees Luxemburg as I had previously researched her work and found it both intriguing and interesting. I had some good ideas of places to take photos in her style but the only problem was getting to these places at a similar time of day to that of Luxemburg.

Another idea I came up with was one that used Alexey Titarenko’s City of Shadows series of work as inspiration. I preferred this idea to the former however I still would have liked to try both ideas.

Final Idea

I finally decided to pursue the idea based in TItarenko’s series. I started to think of places that would provide enough people for me to take a photo of in motion. One of the best places I could think of was Canterbury. So I began to start my research so as to get a better idea of Titarenko’s work.

Research

Alexey TItarneko’s series of work City of Shadows and were taken in the 1990’s. The photos centred around the theme of totalitarianism which focused on the signs and statues that were crumbling around him. The photos were taken in Saint Petersburg where Titarenko had been photographing since he was eight years old. Many of his other photos reflect the history of the city that Titarenko saw unfolding.

The photos in City of Shadows seem eerie, haunting and disturbing. The people within appear as though they are ghosts that crowd the frame.

The photographer makes the photo seem decades old when it was only taken in the early 90’s. The large depth of field and long exposure gives the image a seemingly infinite amount of detail.

These images also provide a thoughtful insight into the world around Titarenko and allow those who may not at first have been able see it.

I would like to instil the same insight into my own photographs.

Shooting Days

I began my shooting on the 27^th of November by travelling to Canterbury. I again took the Mamiya RZ and made my way to the centre of town as I thought that would be the best place to take the photos as it is generally is the busiest part of the city.

The specifications below are those I used when taking my Canterbury photos:

1.       ½ second, f. 32

2.       ½ second, f. 22 and 9 tenths

3.       ½ second, f. 32 and 1 tenth

4.       ½ second, f. 32 and 1 tenth

5.       ½ second, f. 32 and 3 tenths

6.       ½ second, f. 22 and 7 tenths

7.       ½ second, f. 22 and 6 tenths

8.       1/30 second, f. 4 and 6 tenths

Outcome

The negatives and contact sheet of my day are below:

Evaluation

I am satisfied with the initial outcome of this project but I, as with the pastiche image, I would like the opportunity to retake the photographs so as to improve on what I have already done.

Backtracking: Body

Backtracking: Body

Initial Ideas

Upon receiving the brief I immediately began to consider some possibilities for people I could ask to become the subject of my work. Initially I came up with two ideas which are as follows:

1.       My first idea was to ask one of the ladies who worked in the sweet shop on Rochester high street as I had been in there a few times and the lady who often served me seemed to have a very positive attitude and always had a smile whatever the day. I immediately began to think of lighting I could use to portray this side of her and I came to the conclusion that I would like to create quite a warm atmosphere around her with as few harsh shadows as possible.

2.       My second idea was to ask someone who worked in a local supermarket, as I myself work in one, and to then find out some more about them as I feel that people never seem to see those who work in supermarkets as anything but workers. I knew that before I could decide on any lighting decisions and suchlike, I would have to choose the person I wanted to work with.

Final Idea

Above I explored some possible options for people to photograph; however, my final idea was one that is completely separate from those above.

I regularly take part in a military simulation sport called Airsoft and it was here that I found my portrait’s subject. I am quite a shy person by nature so, apart from the four people I attend the sport with; I don’t tend to talk to others around me. During one particular occasion, one of the regulars caught my eye. I had seen him at the site quite a lot but never been brave enough to talk to him. I was that fact that made me decide that it would be good to ask him to be my subject as it gave me an opportunity to talk to him and learn about the type of person he was from scratch.

At first I was quite nervous as he was quite a loud person and the only time I’d heard him talk in the past was when he was shouting orders at people. However, when I approached him, he was a very nice person, very relaxed and not at all like I had first thought. On this occasion I only talked to him briefly but he agreed to be my subject, pending the date of the shoot. One of the first things I learned about him, other than his name (Patrick McGarry), was his job outside of the world of Airsoft. He was a college and university lecturer. This gave me my starting point for my research.

Research

As I now knew Patrick was a lecturer, I wanted to focus on that within my project. Due to this my first port of call was to find a photographer that shot quite distinguished and educated people. After much searching I found Yousuf Karsh. My initial research and analysis of some of his work is below:

Jean Sibelius, 1949

Sibelius was a Finnish composer. His music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. In this respect Sibelius can be considered a well educated individual.

The posture directed to him by Karsh (hand on heart, eyes closed) suggests a strong sense of patriotism. Karsh described the structure of Sibelius’ face as reminding him “of carved granite, yet with infinite warmth and humanity”.  The dark backdrop emphasises the shadows cast on the subject’s face and the prominence of the marks and age lines that are also present; this may be so as to show that Sibelius has had many years of experience of the world. Overall I feel that this portrait has been taken to show the worldly experience Jean Sibelius has gained and his love for his music and country.

Source: http://www.karsh.org/#/the_work/portraits/jean_sibelius/

Albert Einstein, 1948

As with his portrait of Sibelius, Karsh appears to have taken this image so as to display the deep educational background and knowledge held by Einstein himself. His pose and distant gaze suggests deep thought and, again, shadows are used effectively to show the lines of age upon Einstein’s face. His eyes show a story of both great knowledge but also sadness. Karsh spoke of this when he described his meeting with Einstein: “He spoke sadly, yet serenely, as one who had looked into the universe, far past mankind’s small affairs”. Overall I feel that this portrait effectively portrays how most people believe Einstein to have been. And, from his time spent with the great physicist, Karsh adheres also to this belief.

Source: http://www.karsh.org/#/the_work/portraits/albert_einstein

François Mauriac, 1949

Mauriac was an author and laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature. When Karsh took the photograph there was no electrical power in Paris at the time, forcing him to use a bed sheet as a reflector to capture a silhouette of Mauriac using the light of an open window.

Mauriac’s posture once more makes him look as though he is deep in thought and suggests that he is, like the former two portrait’s subjects, an educated gentleman. The silhouette gives Mauriac a mysterious air and allows the viewer to think about what might go on in the mind of a famous author such as François.

With my initial research of Karsh and the basic idea of how I wanted my portrait, the next step was for me to attend my tutorial.

Tutorial and Development

My tutorial took place on the 22^nd of November and it was there that I explained my initial thoughts on the portrait I wanted to create. After discussing how I met my subject and what I had learned about him so far it was recommended to me that I research the following photographers:

o   Arthur Tress

o   Richard Avedon

This was the next step on my list to complete. My results are as follows:

Arthur Tress

This portrait by Tress is called Bride and Groom, New York, New York and was taken in 1971.

The reason that I chose this portrait to analyse is that one of the other possibilities for my portrait was to have Patrick dressed in a suit with maybe camouflage face paint and a military style helmet on his head so as to symbolise two of the prominent sides of his personality.

This piece by Tress comes from his series Theatre of the Mind and would seem to be a parody of a straightforward marriage. However it also seems to suggest an air of self identity and confidence in one’s own self and beliefs. The hand raised by the gentleman side of the figure suggests that an oath is being taken which may be seen to have two meanings: that of taking an oath of marriage and that of taking an oath of understanding of himself as a person. On the other hand, it could be said that Tress questions the foundations of gender in this amalgamated form of a single person.

After researching this image I do not think I will pursue this type of portrait any further as I do not feel that it is the type of photograph that I want to create.

 Richard Avedon

The image to the left is a portrait of Cole Porter, the famous composer and songwriter, in 1950.

This portrait gives the initial appearance that Porter is quite a well educated, formal man on account of his posture and his attire. However his posture may also have been chosen by the artist so as to work with Porter’s disability, acquired through a horse riding accident in 1937. The plain mise-en-scene allows Porter to become the main focus of the piece and enables Avedon to shape him accordingly.

I think this image has a similar feel to Yousuf Karsh’s, however I feel Karsh, unlike Avedon, includes softer shadows and makes the subject seem more natural in his surroundings. This is what I would like to do with my portrait.

From this research I feel that I have explored more possible options for my portrait but I would overall still like to do it in the style of Yousuf Karsh.

Studio Days

Throughout the course of this project there were a number of studio days that gave us an insight into some of the aspects of portraiture. Below are the outcomes of the workshops.

18^th November 2011 – The Subject’s Gaze: Rembrandt to Kirstens

This workshop was designed to introduce us to the idea of Rembrandt lighting. Rembrandt lighting involves an illuminated triangle being cast under the eye of the subject, usually on the less illuminated side of the face. It was named after the Dutch painter of the same name who often used this type of lighting in his work. Some examples are shown below:

This style of lighting allows the artist to create a natural and compelling image by a simple means.

Our task for this workshop was as follows:

Using lighting inspired by Rembrandt, make a series of images that consider the power of the gaze.

Make a series of portraits of your assistant that depict the following:

1.       Vulnerability

2.       Pride

3.       Intimacy

4.       Aloof

The equipment we were required to use for this setup was as below:

o   Mamiya RZ Medium Format Camera

o   A Light Meter

o   110mm Lens

o   A Tungsten Light

o   White Poly Board Reflector

The negatives and contact sheet I produced from this workshop are below:

The setting used on the camera for each pose is detailed below:

Vulnerability : 1. ⅛ second, f.16

                        2. ⅛ second, f.16

Aloof: 1. ⅛ second, f. 4.0 and 6 tenths

           2. ⅛ second, f. 4.0 and 3 tenths

Pride: 1. ⅛ second, f. 8.0 and 4 tenths

           2. ⅛ second, f. 4.0 and 2 tenths

Intimacy: 1. ⅛ second, f. 2.8 and 9 tenths

                2. ⅛ second, f. 2.8 and 7 tenths

From this workshop I have learnt the differences between Ilford Delta 100 and Ilford Delta HP5 films and the advantages of using each. For instance the 100 will provide more contrast however the HP5 will allow you to work with a faster shutter speed.

I have also learnt about Rembrandt lighting and how it emphasises the features on the face.

25^th November 2011 – Posture and Pose: Uniform and The Clothing of the Body

This studio day gave us an insight into how clothing and positioning of the body can influence a portrait.

Our task for this workshop was as follows:

Using fill – in flash, carefully consider posture, props and clothing and make a series of portraits that depict 3 of the following:

o   The Worker

o   The Intellectual

o   The Sales Assistant

o   The Waitress

The equipment required for this shoot is listed below:

o   Mamiya RZ Medium Format Camera

o   A Light Meter

o   1 Key Light

o   1 Fill Light

o   Remote Slave

o   Prolite Extension Lead

 The negatives and contact sheet I produced from this workshop are below:

From this workshop I have learned how to use a fill light and that the difference in F Stop between the key and fill light are most commonly either -2 or -3 stops depending on the type of lighting required. I have also learnt that when using this setup, the camera must be set to mirror the F Stop of the key light.

In terms of positioning I have learnt that considering the lens choice carefully when given a brief is a big step in terms of how the final image will look. I have also learnt that consider the shoulder position of the subject can have a large effect on the final outcome.

2^nd December 2011 – Lighting Set Up

This workshop was included to give us some idea of the different lighting setups we could use for our final portrait.

The first setup was as below:

This particular setup gives a high key lighting rim around the subject.

The ratio of key light to fill light for this setup was 3:1 with the key light at f. 16 and the fill light at f. 5.6. The camera was set at f.11 to allow one stop of light from the key lights.

The second setup was as below:

This setup allows for very directional light to be cast on the subject with the fill light being used to fill in the shadows on the darker side of the subject.

This lighting set uses a 3:1 ratio with the key light at f. 11 and the fill light at f. 4.0.

The final setup was as follow:

This lighting gives a bright white background and makes the subject stand out stark from the background.

This workshop has given me some ideas about how I would like the lighting for my final portrait piece.

Set Layout

The workshop on lighting setups gave me foundations to create my own setup that would suit the style of portrait I wanted to shoot.

After using an internet lighting diagram tool (Sylights.com) I came up with the following setup:

After talking to my tutor I decided to include a fill light at the front of the set and also to change the backdrop to white from black and just position the camera and subject so that the background appears black.

My final lighting diagram looks as follows:

The key light and the fill light in my setup have a ratio of 2:1 with the key light at f. 16 and the fill light at f. 8 with the camera set at f. 11.

Shoot Day

Wednesday 14^th December 2011 was my shoot day. I was planned to shoot between 12pm and 2pm so I got into the studio as early as I could to get the space I both wanted and needed. I was set up by 10am. The photos below show my set:

The equipment I used for my shoot is as follows:

o   Mamiya RZ Medium Format Camera

o   110mm Lens

o   Ilford Delta 100 120 Roll Film

o   White Backdrop

o   2 White Reflectors

o   2 Broncolor Lights (Key)

o   1 Prolite Light (Fill)

o   1 Softbox

o   1 Power Pack

o   Remote Slave

There was still some time before my subject arrived so I got to work doing a test shoot using my assistant, Holly, as my stand in model. The statistics for the shots are below:

Background: White at f. 2 and 5 tenths

1.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 8, 2:1 ratio

2.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 8, 2:1 ratio

3.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 8, 2:1 ratio

4.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 8, 2:1 ratio

5.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 5.6, 3:1 ratio

6.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 5.6, 3:1 ratio

7.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 5.6, 3:1 ratio

8.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 5.6, 3:1 ratio

9.       1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 5.6, 3:1 ratio

10.   1/400, camera  f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite with softbox f. 8, 2:1 ratio

 The negatives and contact sheets produced are as below:

After completing the test I was able to identify the lighting ratio I wanted for the rest of my shoot and also find any problems that occurred and fix them before my shoot began properly.

I decided to shoot on a 2:1 ratio with a softbox on the fill light to make the light softer.

One problem I encountered was the shadow of the glasses being cast starkly on the lower eye line of the subject. To solve this problem I simply levelled the fill light with the subject in order to eliminate the shadows.

After sorting out the final details of the shoot, my subject arrived and I could begin shooting. I had two rolls of films to shoot so I could experiment a bit with the effect I could achieve. I briefed my subject about how I wanted the image to look and showed him some of my researched images so he had a clear idea of how I wanted my final portrait to look.

The specifications for the shots I took are below:

Roll 1

Background: White at f. 2 and 8 tenths

1.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

2.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

3.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

4.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

5.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

6.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

7.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

8.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

9.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

10.   1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

Roll 2

Background: White at f. 2 and 8 tenths

1.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

2.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

3.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

4.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

5.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 8, ratio of 2:1

6.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 5.6, ratio of 3:1

7.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 5.6, ratio of 3:1

8.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 5.6, ratio of 3:1

9.       1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 5.6, ratio of 3:1

10.   1/400, camera f. 11, broncolor f. 16, prolite and softbox f. 5.6, ratio of 3:1

Outcome

The outcome negatives and contact sheets are below:

 

 The main thing I am unhappy with within the shots of the small slivers of backdrop and reflectors that made it into the shot. I am going to try to crop them out when I print.