Research: Studio Portraits
Group Discussion

The group discussion consisted us to bring in a image that we thought was a portrait and explain what you felt towards it and why you have chosen it. Everyone had different views on what portraits were which was interesting and gives the class to learn about how they think and what their opinions were on everyone's images and thought about how the photographer would of portrayed the emotion and how lighting helps express the emotion further.

Photographer Fritz Arno Wagner was a past master of creating atmosphere for dramas. Wagner began his career as a newsreel cameraman for Pathe Freres and worked widely for UFA. 

Warning Shadows (1922)
Schatten: Eine Nachtliche Halluzination

Waning Shadows was an Early German cinema that held a fascination for shadows and their doppelganger implications. Warning Shadows puts the idea to good use in an expressionist film that introduces a sinister puppeteer who shows an range of characters as they really are.

I had chosen this image to discuss on because I felt that Ruth Weyher, German actress looking as if she's trapped by the shadows are tormenting her and messing with her mind making her feel insecure of herself.

Studio Portraits Evaluation

This assignment I was looking forward to as I'll have the feel and experience on what studios and lighting are all about and whats the process of it all which isn't easy at all. Starting this assignment I have noticed that the class and me all put up a mask on us to hide the uncomfortable feel towards taking pictures of ourselfs and just pull faces until it was the right time for everyone to not feel awkward with each each other and have fun, get to know everyone with banter, but eventually near the end we took serious portraits to show the subjects real self. Learning all the lighting techniques was interesting how shadows create a mood to a persons face such as making the faces appear dramatic. For my final portraits I have used the lighting of Rembrandt triangle that is illuminated underneath the eye socket on one side of face creating a shape and subtle tones revealing a side light, but doing this lighting creates an mystery emotion on subject as it can give a look of a dark place which I liked to show insecurity to one of my subjects. Researching into history of photographs helped me think in depth on what portraits means, to give me ideas on what my theme could be on this assignment which I would like to bring out subjects souls to picture, bringing out their personality and character making a meaning to the portrait. I admit I was scared when tutors brought out all the equipment used in the studio, a lot to take in but great to be taught the lighting techniques and never knew that shadows can create moods and excitement. I didn't think much at start of course what a portrait is, I thought at first it's kind of like taking photo's of yourself seeing your changes through the days and coming out of your shell, showing who you are and viewers just read whats in front of their eyes. Most people don't like getting pictures taken because it's a scare to let loose and express your beauty due to judgement on looks and personality so they become a mask.  The real challenge for me is to get the focus right from inside the camera and press the button quickly to get the emotion that is made as I wanted a portrait natural and not the subject forcing a face just capturing a part of their character flashed into an image. For my finals I have used the technique on creating a black background to make images dramatic by having the backing light lower Fstop than the subject and having camera back in distance, being in a small group was easier to interact with each individual as you can get to know them comfortably and less crowded to set up the studio kit correctly and less stressful. By knowing the group split into a small one helped to get great pictures as I think this helps people to feel more settled and not rushed to get portrait's done as you don't feel the need to finish as quickly for people to have a go.  The first image I liked as she brought out character who is worried, deep in thought, or a slight shock expression. Third image I took the shot of him all laid back and relaxed.

Research: studio portraits lighting

Rembrandt Light

This lighting technique is named this way due to the Dutch painter Rembrandt often used in his paintings. This is the most exciting and demanding position key light. The technique is a variation of the sidelight where the shadowed side of face captures a little illumination small triangle below the eye 'Rembrandt triangle'. To create this natural, dramatic effect is to move light source up and a little back towards camera.

Frontal light

This technique not that fussy as you need to place light just above camera, this should give hardly any shadow just a small one beneath chin.

Slight light


For this technique to be effective you move lighting down to get shadow under chin has gone and move light sideways. This creates a soft growing shadow on side of face but don't move light too far so that subject won't get shadow on nose. Doing the side light  it should show a three dimensional and shaped the face.

High Frontal light

Need to keep the light above camera and slowly move upwards and start to see growing shadows. Shadows firstly appear underneath chin then get more and more on the nose and stop within the eye socket. High Frontal lighting is another name for 'glamour lighting' to use for a flatter face and appear leaner which works best for oval shaped faces and strong cheekbones. Another term of this lighting technique 'butterfly lighting' that refers to the shadows formed below the nose making an image of butterfly wings. 

http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/2008/02/what_makes_a_great_portrait/
Research- Studio Portrait
What makes a good portrait

Portraits can define what work the person does and to construct reality rather than reproduce it, they densely coded such as ladder tights can  be meaning to them, might want to come out as different not looking perfect.

Portraits can challenge stereotypes we have on children, mothers and can explore issues of themselves.

Trying to pinpoint what really makes a good portrait is like trying to figure out why the person smiles at you and feels good. Portraits can become a great image when photographer creates a strong and moving story when viewed and furthers itself with great use of light, lines and framing. Photographers can make a strong meaningful portrait because subject and photographer are both willing to take a stand and make a statement about the subject. What strikes a good portrait can be a full visual combination of texture, light, expression, the eyes and regard of the subject and portraying a sense of  tense from the moment  and humour coming from the subject. The subject being vulnerable and looking awkward can be access  point for a viewer to point out humanity.

Research: Studio Portraiture
Hasselblad and Lighting techniques


Within the studio space there are different ways to manipulate styles using lighting to give a completely different look to a portrait. Light hitting on background can dramatically change the feel of surrounding such as a bright white back with a soft focus giving the image a contemporary clean look. To create a bright white background needs a higher F stop on subject. Bowen and Elinchrom lighting  used as a back light with a lower F stop to subject can create a pale grey background. Black backgrounds, the subject stands at a far distance, the backing light needs to be set on a lower Fstop than the subject light which is measured with a light meter that helps to guide photographer to get a perfect aperture and exposure within the camera.

The hasselblad connects to the computer, that transfers into a programme called 'capture one'  this helps to view images on screen to see if its in focus and if it is we can five star  on favourite images on each shoot.  A fine cable also needs to be synced with lights so when flashed onto subject, the image will appear into camera and software. Hasselblad cameras are very expensive which were originally used to produce negatives but camera can be used to produce digital images where there is a separate back available called a digital sensor. The camera equipment is set up by hand this makes the camera fragile to attach equipment forcefully together especially when camera isn't 'cocked'.

Research- Studio Portraits
Hasselblad

On Friday 22nd November was my first time using the Hasselblad camera in studio which was scary but fun too. I was very nervous in posing at first but when class mate was communicating with me, saying what she wanted I got more confident and tried giving her some attitude, looking natural that would sum up me not looking forced and a made up character.

I was introduced to a software "capture one" that is needed to complete this portrait brief where the images being took from camera transfers to software to judge on if its in focus or not and has captured enough attitude and character. I found difficult is to focus the lens which I think am getting used as it's something to do with a black circle in the middle that is needed to look see through and when image is took it will appear on computer screen where I then had to use a view finder tool and press and hold on the eye to see if its in focus.

Research- Studio Portraits
Platon
http://www.platonphoto.com/index.html


Platon's work consists a range of portrait works from politics, movies, TV, music, sports etc that are eye catching in the way his subjects uses their hands close to the lens making the hands bigger than their figure. His portraits lighting is sharp and highlights their features as his lighting brightens the face giving the face more contrast, shadows and a clean view of his images.

The way positions his subjects, some look not amused, Jim Carrey looks like hes showing who's boss or in a way hes standing as if to say hey who you think your talking to.

Research-Studio Portraits
Richard Lesson



Monday 18th November I had the opportunity to watch Richard working on a shoot and help advertise rock n rolls companies products, creating natural, beautiful feel to his pieces of work that is very welcoming for his viewers.  Richard had given us an insight  of his day to day life and on how he portrays his subject in studio professionally and shows us what the fashion industries are looking for. Watching Richard portraying his subject he creates chilled out atmosphere by playing top hits music, bought food and drinks for gratitude and the making of connections with staff and model to work close with them to get his finals successfully.

  

Richard Lesson works look bright, friendly and colourful, he has focused very well on his models and not the surrounding so that the viewers can see their beauty and characteristics. Focusing on characteristics makes me more intrigued and view more works from him for inspiration.

Richard Lesson is doing well in working with industries and continuing to go far into different industries, working with new members of staff which helps gain confidence in communicating and creating a strong bond. He was an ex student in CCAD (Cleveland College of art and design) this news makes me trust the college's teachings to get work in future and gets me excited on what am going to learn and achieve in life.

Malick Sidibe

His work seems to be set as African culture and in a old modern day style which is fresh as she get both genders of people that looks obvious that they are living in Africa with their skin tones, cultural outfits and having the women wear traditional clothing suitable for the country.  Malick sets a rule for herself when doing studio work as she carefully chooses the positioning that matches to their personality and does not want her subjects look mummified so she gives them a certain position that would make them come out more alive.

As a young boy he had a habit of collecting things like old hunting bullets from planes, he basically loved old items such as old rags and even wear them,crumpled up things and I think he used his young boy inspirations of collecting things in patterns, using it for the ground in the studio and designing own clothing into old rags like he did but blending with studio in a way like the ground.

The way I see these portraits is that they look like some of the subjects are hiding their identities by wearing glasses and not making eye contact to the lens of the camera and just posing normally for a profile picture or a sort of pose you do when with friends not looking forceful.

Jill Greenberg

Jill is both a fine art photographer and a commercial photographer, she love's commercial work as that provides a real showcase to her style and get paid for it which helps pay for bills and helps towards projects. Images above taking portraits of famous actors to capture unusual posers, contrasting to the regular glamorous photo shots they used to.  Greenberg is a well known photographer who likes to add in humour to her works. Jill wanted to photograph comedians such as Sacha Baron and Tom Green's as she thinks that viewers looking at them would remind them of a silly joke they said or movie they seen comedian in, instantly evokes a smile. Jill didn't want her set to be too planned out and come across cheesy as this would be unsuccessful to bring out comedians spontaneity.

To me Jill uses her backdrop to blend with actors skin tones or clothing if finds difficult to match skin tone to make all of her portraits natural, clean and professional enough to satisfy the actors overall portrait.

http://www.sickymagazine.com/look-back-in-anger/


  These neon lighting images are found in a magazine "sicky" where her subjects were portraying  the title looking back in anger so the subjects all had their own idea of embracing that feature.

Portraits Research

I have been given  a new assignment which is studio portrait which I am looking forward to as I'll be taught to use lighting professionally, experiencing the digital workflow and to be introduce to the photographic Lab where I can now know how to print out coloured prints as before I was learning black and white due to doing street photography. 

The photographic studio portrait has been used since the 1850s. Portraiture's tradition has followed the artists of the 15th and 16th centuries that has been specially made by privileged paint portraits to display wealth and honour.   Portrait photographers aim to focus on the person's face to reinforce identities, characteristics and mood, tell stories and to convey messages but entire body, props and the background may be included. In the 19th century the camera invention was made and was fairly a low cost of the daguerreotype and reduced sitting time of the subject which led to a rise in the popularity or portrait photography over painted portraits. Photographers style in these early works had challenges with long exposures, they seated their subjects against plain backgrounds and lit them up with soft light of an overhead window and whatever else could be reflected with mirrors. 

Richard Avedon: Studio Portraits

Richard was always interested in how portraiture captures the personality and soul of his subjects. His portraits are easily notable by his unfussy style, where the person is looking squarely in the camera, stood in front of a thin white background. Richard was able to focus on their hidden souls of his subjects by suggesting emotions and reactions and using soft light and props to help bring emotion etc. Richard usually suggest reactions from his subjects by guiding them into uncomfortable areas to discuss or ask curious questions. Through these answered questions would mean he would be able to produce portraits that is revealing sides of his subjects character and personality that are not capture by others.  

Tim Walker: Studio Portraits

http://timwalkerphotography.com/index.php

Tim Walker is a daring fashion photographer with his imaginative props where he displays his models with the props making a theme such as making his images look dreamy, magical and quirky.  Tim's work seems to be influenced by films and songwriters such as model Kirsi Pyrhonen wearing a jello hat reminds me of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory with it's bright coloured funky clothing with a smirk pose as to say "no one is going to know the secret, they have to pass through me first". The models all have different poses portraying their character, the first image just looks like she's going to start having a major tantrum, giving the spoilt child's eyes and the body language just look persuading to give what she wants. The last image is in the style of Lady Gaga with her fun, mental props, the glasses remind me of the song "paparazzi" where she dressed as a mad mouse wanting revenge with her husband. The second image the guy with the skull smoking, I think this is messaging this is what you are going to end up as, a shortened life turning into a corpse and the guy has got this body language as if to say "do I give a damn, this is me so scram". He plots his models correctly by using the space well, making models feel comfortable and keeps the specific style to his image not looking messy and using lighting effectively making his images look clean and creative.

 

Cara Delevingne, London, UK,2013, W magazine

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN WITH SKULL,
LONDON, UK, 2009
BRITISH VOGUE

SCARLETT JOHANSSON AS BETTE DAVIS,
NEW YORK, USA, 2010
W MAGAZINe


KIRSI PYRHONEN & JELLO HAT,
LONDON, UK, 2011
AMERICAN VOGUE

KIRSI PYRHONEN & JELLO HAT,
LONDON, UK, 2011
AMERICAN VOGUE


TILDA SWINTON,
ICELAND, 2011
W MAGAZINE

         Edward Steichen  

Edward was a American fashion Photographer that was working for the Conde Nast magazines Vogue and Vanity Fair while working with J. Walter Thomas in advertising in 1923. During these years he was highly known to be the highest paid photographer in the world.

During the war Edward's experience aerial reconnaissance photography had given him a new apprecaition of the outstanding and potential realistic manipulated photography, with its expressive detail that is compelling and rich range of tones. 

David Bailey- Celebrity Portraits                         

The person who is closing eyes I feel like that is portraying that he is a dreamer, dreaming of ideas, he is a calm and relaxed character

Doing portraits it's important to look at the portrait and see who it is off and see how it relates to the person and matches to their personality and how they should be represented. I think David Bailey has chosen Jack Nicholson to do a portrait shoot is to capture how people can have a dark side to their soul, achieved this by selected a lighting at an angle of his face to emphasize his side of face. He chose this famous actor known in Hollywood who played different roles such as cynical and menacing characters such as the joker in batman film to portray a dark psychotic character to image to show that it's hard to notice a psychopath as everyone can be naturally crazy. Jack Nicholson is well known in a film "The shining" where he is depicted to be a murderous psychopath, I believe that David has chosen this actor to portray anger, fustration just as a psychopath would feel and wanted his image to look kind of comedic in the way his mouth is perched into a square leading people to think its not spontaneous and wanting to give out a message across that everybody has a dark side by making half the actors face lit dark which I find it interesting.