Final Studio Session

For my final shoot I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do. I new from the start I wanted heavy black and white contrast. In terms of what I wanted my models to do was to be completely free with their facial expressions, just like I had been with my ink and water portraits. I wanted them to feel relaxed enough that they could be silly and let their faces do as they pleased. If there was something they had done with their face that I liked but had missed taking the image the first time I would ask them to go back to what they were talking about to see if I could get the expression back or I would do something similar with my face and they would accidentally copy it without realising.  

 The only thing I did on Photo Shop was enhancing the levels to make some of the shadows darker and highlights lighter for more of a contrast. Also I found a clarity tool, which I had not seen before and used it a little on all of the images. I didn’t use light room because the system was down and only started working again after I had sent for my prints to be printed. I’m not to worried about this as a can always practice with light room now its up and working and at the same time I am happy with how my images have turned out.

Tonal Mark Making

These are just a few of my attempts at being free with an ink pen and water to try and create some expressive marking that build up a portrait.



 I started with a basic scribble marks, than started to build up heavier bolder tones around the eyes, nose and shaded areas. one I was happy with the basic outlines I then added water to fill in the wanted gaps. As you can see on the second image it add different colours depending how much water is sat on the thickness of ink. I enjoy having ago at this technique because it always a bit of a surprise as what it might look like once the water touches the ink.

Historic Paintings And Images

I find it nice to look back at how portraits use to be and what I have achieved in the past couple of weeks. I have been looking in a book called ‘The Beginnings of Photography’ a lot of the studio images were taken in the 1860s with a stone wash backdrop. Not a lot of the portraits looked incredible happy. I can imagine its because they would have had a reputation and cretin image to uphold. But now it’s more than okay to be free with your expressions and to show you have a sense of humour without having people criticising the way you are. 

'The Beginnings of Photography                                       

Plate 16                                                                              'Plate 17 

J.M Cameron                                                                     J.M Cameron  

Sir J.F.W. Herschel, 1867 (395)'                                       Charles Darwin, c. 1869 (378)' 

Just some portrait paintings from throughout the ages which have influenced the way portraits are seen today.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=portrait+paintings&espv=210&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=LhHLUsKqA4Kd7gb-24CoAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=513#es_sm=91&espv=210&q=portraits+by+picasso&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

This is a more modern way of portrait painting by using a tonal mark making technique with a paintbrush. I really like the messy markings and how it makes an image come together. I think I will have a go at doing a really free moving images with scribble marks such as this one.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/upload/img/Rembrandt-self-portrait-age-63-NG221-c-face-half.jpg

Lee Jeffries

I really like all of these portraits by Lee Jeffries. They are all a bit odd which makes them hard to not look at and I like the thought of faces appearing from the darkness. 

Practising in the studio

My first attempt in the studio and capture 1.

 

Studio Shoot

Getting to work in the studio with less people around was really, by being made to just get on with setting the lights and camera up with just a couple of others helped me made me understand the set up so much more by physically doing it myself. Also with a smaller group of people I could get on with what I wanted to do and experiment a lot more without feeling like I was taking up all the studio time. And the models seemed more relaxed and natural in front of the camera without the pressure of people watching them.

Today in the studio I managed to mess around a bit and try photographing with a black background but without a black backdrop. It took a bit of experimenting with the lights to get it right but I got there in the end. Once the background and the lighting was correct I then had the task of getting my photos to have the took that I wanted, this was influenced by Steve Pyke's work with his Moon Bug project. I wanted to have them black and white with a heavy contrast but I wasn't to sure how to do black and white with capture one as I was still getting use to the software. So I thought that I would do this later when I use Lightroom. I increased the contrast a little but I thought that I would also do more of this on Lightroom so I can see how it looks with the black and white.      

Richard Avedon

Richard Avadon was well know in the photography business for fashion and portraits. His fashion shoots seemed to have a lot of movement, this showed the fashion garments off on a new light as you could see how the material moved. It also created elegant photography like the garments themselves were dancing.

His portraits on the other hand seemed more striped back and simple. He often didn't use props but if he did it was just the one to help portray the subject. For example his use of props in these two photos portray the image of country kids witch may illude the look of a deprived childhood to the upperclass.





I don't think you could get this without the props. They would still have the dirty clothes and messy hair but the snake and the gun let you know a bit more into these children's lives. The young man on the left might have just been given his first gun from the way he is holding it. This might mean he is seen as a man in his dads eyes and feels hes son is old enough to go shooting with him.


The other side to Avadons portraits is capturing inner beauty of people. Like the image of Kate moss, she is completely stripped back from make up and hair appliances and it's just kate infront of the camera with no added extras. I also like that she isn't symmetrical and her face isn't technically pretty but I don't think that's what beauty is. I think beauty is about being unique and having imperfections is good and is what makes you stand out.





All photos are from google images
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=richard+avedon+portraits&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=qQufUqHgNei30QWd8oCoBQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=987