Advertising & Narrative
Lighting
In the first lesson of this unit, we looked at different types of lighting known as high-key, medium-key and low-key lighting.
High-key Lighting involves a lighting setup which keeps the shadows soft and maintains detail from the darkest to the brightest part of the image. Most high-key lighting examples involve a white backdrop, however, this is not required to achieve this result. This technique/style can look slightly overexposed at first, as the human eye is accustomed to shadows being darker than what they appear in these photos. To attain this effect, the subject must be lit with more fill light and the shadows must be soft. Fill lights are used to increase the amount of ambient light and reduce the contrast. High-key lighting is often used in commercials for food and beauty products.
Medium-key lighting, also called mid-key lighting, is more balanced than high or low-key lighting. It maintains a good amount of detail across the image as the shadows are not completely black and the highlights are perfectly exposed. The main subject is usually brighter than the background and they may have subtle shadows to create depth. This can sometimes look more flat and less interesting and is usually used for corporate headshots.
Low-key lighting allows the shadows to fall to complete darkness, instead of attempting to retain every detail, like high-key. It emphasises shadows by using a hard lighting source. This increases the contrast of the subject and creates a more cinematic feel to the image. These photos result in a more under exposed look and adds more drama and suspense to it. Low-key lighting can also be pushed to create more abstract imagery where the majority of the frame is filled by a silhouette. Rembrandt was a pioneer of this technique, as he primarily used natural light, it created a triangular shaped pocket of light on the less illuminated area of the subject's face.
Aria Shahrokhshahi
Today we had a guest speaker, Aria Shahrokhshahi, he spoke to us about his photography and what it's like being in the industry as a whole. As I am intrigued by documentary photography, this talk was valuable for me. A few things I took from this speech was to focus on my own personal work before immediately trying to appeal to an agency and get hired to do commercial jobs. He also showed a lot of his unreleased work which I found fascinating, as we're getting an exclusive insight into his creative process, which I highly appreciated. As well as this, we were given a lot of helpful information in terms of his agency, Object & Animal, and how his contract works and how he met and kept in contact with one of the lead people in charge of The Halo Trust, a company dedicated to removing land mines from war ridden countries to make the land safe again.
Outdoor Lighting Workshop
Today we took part in an outdoor lighting workshop, guided by Michele and Ellen. This involved us taking 3 portable lights outside behind the university campus and shooting a set of images as a test for our final images.
These were the results from the shoot, we made use of all three lights. The first main light had a blue gel on it to create the blue tinge around the subject's face, this was to contrast against the saturated red background in the photos. As there was overcast weather on the day, we underexposed for the background and used the lighting to brighten up the desired parts of the image.
Artist Research
When researching artists, I will use these questions to base my analysis off of:
Context of the image
1. A brief description of the artist.
2. Which genre does the artist work within?
3. Where is their work featured, or who do they work for?
How are the images made?
1. What camera was used (digital, 35mm film, medium format etc.)
2. Are the photos shot on location or in a studio?
3. Was flash lighting or natural lighting used?
4. Is it a film image or digital? How is this expressed?
5. What models/subjects are in the images and how are they posed/framed?
6. How are the images composed?
7. Is the image clear or out of focus?
How are the images graded?
1. What tones are in the photos? Cool or warm etc.
2. What sort of colour is in the images? Highly saturated or muted colours?
3. Is the image clean or edited to appear older?
4. Is there any texture to the images that makes it unique?
Self-reflection
I will use this section talk about how the artist's work caught my eye and how I intend to use their creative process as inspiration for my own work.
#1
Ahmed Klink is a filmmaker and photographer based in New York City, his work has been selected for American Photography 32 and his client list includes Billboard, Rolling Stone, XXL, Budweiser and Adidas.
When researching Ahmed there was not much information as to what format he shoots, but I think he shoots digitally, using a short telephoto lens like 85mm or 105mm. Most of his commercial work is shot in a studio using flash, but his personal work is often on location with natural light. The models in his images are usually music artists as he has shot for music publications such as Rolling Stone, XXL, MTV and Billboard. They are posed to display the artists likeness as they will most likely be front and centre on the magazine, and the photos are composed to immediately grab the viewer's attention for this reason. Most of Kilnk's commercial work is very clear and sharp, but he also implements motion blur and slower shutter speeds into some of his personal work.
The images are edited very colourfully and contrasty, they are very saturated and help to accentuate the backdrops Ahmed uses as well as the vibrant style of the subjects. The tone of his photos vary depending on who he is shooting for and what the backdrop is. For example, the backdrop for the 4th and 7th image is a strange aluminium foil like texture with a blue tint, in combination with the music artist's clothes, it creates a strange psychedelic atmosphere where they look like they're in a futuristic spaceship. However, the other images have a warm feel to them, the backgrounds and the artists are relaxed, which produces a light, ethereal ambience.
Ahmed Klink's work initially caught my eye because of the colours in his photos, the use of very saturated, vibrant backdrops was something I had never seen before. I found his work through the music artists he photographs and was immediately influenced by the images. My previous studio shoots have mainly only made use of black or white backdrops with the exception of one, in the future I will try to implement more colour into my studio work instead of staying within my comfort zone.
#2
Amanda Westcott specializes in commercial portrait and editorial photography. She has worked with Spotify, Vanity Fair, CBS, YouTube, Meta and Rolling Stone. Westcott is often photographing celebrities and boxers.
I think Amanda shoots digitally, with a zoom lens such as 24-70mm or 16-35mm in order to capture everything. She often shoots on location and in a studio environment, mixing natural light and flash depending on the shoot. The models range from celebrities when shooting commercially, athletes when shooting sports, models when shooting fashion, or people of interest when shooting editorial. The models are generally posed in a dramatic stance to emphasise their physical attributes, Westcott's commercial photos are composed rather basically in order to please her clients. But as for her editorial work, she is able to take more creative liberties, as seen in the final image from the selection.
Amanda's photos are often sharp and clean, but are sometimes edited to create a more textured feel, like the first image in the selection above. The tones in her photos are primarily warm and sometimes cinematic, but can also change to very soft and visually pleasing (e.g. images 6 & 7). I discovered Amanda's photography on the promotional images of a boxing event and then looked into more of her work and took inspiration from a lot of her boxing photography. I now find myself influenced by her studio images as they often have a very dramatic and cinematic atmosphere to them, as we have recently learned about high-key and low-key lighting, I will definitely be taking her work into consideration when shooting low-key in the future.
#3
Greg Williams established his reportage style as a photojournalist in the 1990's whilst covering war zones in Sierra Leone, Burma and Chechnya. An assignment for Sunday Times Magazine got him into the film industry and he has now shot for over 200 movies, his most popular being the Bond franchise. He has also been granted exclusive access to BAFTA, the Golden Globes and the Oscars and is a regular contributor to Vanity Fair and British Vogue.
Greg Williams shoots on a Leica SL2 and a Leica Q2, these are both digital mirrorless cameras, the lens can be changed on the SL2, but the Q2 has a fixed 28mm lens with a maximum aperture of f1.7. He uses the Q2 for occasions such as the Oscars or BAFTA's presumably because it's smaller and less intrusive compared to the SL2 which he uses for commercial work like Vogue or Vanity Fair. Greg almost always uses natural light, and primarily shoots on location unless the client requires studio shot images. The models in his photos are often actors or musicians, in the images above, they're posed to make them look as glamorous as possible in dresses and suits when they're attending award ceremonies. However, he does shoot a lot of candid portraits where he simply captures a moment between people and reminds the viewer that these untouchable celebrities are also still human.
Williams' photos are composed so that the subject is front and centre and immediately recognisable. Most of his images are environmental portraits, I think he does an exceptional job of balancing the model and the location in his photos, as one is never distracting or requiring more attention than the other. Most of Greg's work is clear and sharp unless he is trying to convey fast movement in the image like when he's in a car or a boat. Although he shoots a lot of black and white photos, he also shoots a decent amount of colour as well, the tones in his colour photography are very natural and pleasing to the eye with no over the top editing or crazy adjustments. His black and white images are some of my favourites as it removes any distraction that colour may provide, they have a good amount of contrast to the point where it looks slightly enhanced but not unrealistic.
As Greg shoots on a Leica camera with a sensor capable of over 47 megapixels, his images are very clean and modern looking with almost no texture or grain unless he is shooting in a location with dim lighting. Greg Williams' work initially grabbed my attention because of the people he was able to photograph and attain access with. Since then, I have become more appreciative of his photography not because of his subjects but more so due his approach in photographing these people. His coverage of war zones early on in his career clearly shaped his style of documenting things that not many people have the chance to see in their lifetimes. I take a great deal of inspiration from him and his work and am constantly trying to capture images that are in the same vein as his images.
#4
Emmanuel Robert Owusus-Afram is a photographer and digital technician with many years of experience working with Rankin Creative. His work shows a vast array of experience, his work is vibrant and often portrays large personalities and strong narratives. His client list includes Aston Martin, The BBC, Sky Arts, Manchester United, NHS England and many more.
There is not a lot of information available about Emmanuel's creative process, but I would guess he shoots digitally with a wide array of prime and zoom lenses. Within his work, there is a healthy balance between photos shot on location, and studio images. Despite my opinion on him shooting digitally, I think some of his work is edited to look like film photography. With the use of film negative borders/frames in combination with manipulating the colours to imitate the look of film, it achieves a very nostalgic feel and is overall very visually pleasing. I think Emmanuel uses flash in the majority of his work, this helps separate the subject from the background when shooting on location.
The models in his images are often used to display a piece of clothing when shooting for fashion brands. But more recently, he has been shooting music artists wearing extravagant clothing like EARTHGANG and Little Simz. Emmanuel's photos are often composed to exhibit the models or the items of clothing, with a strong, centre-weighted composition. All of his images are clear and sharp in order to get a direct view of the subjects. The tones in his work vary, presumably depending on whether he's shooting for his personal work or commercial clients. Overall, I would describe the tones in this selection of photos to be warm, making use of orange, yellow and khaki green as his backdrops along with the tungsten lighting of his subjects.
There is a certain texture in his photos that tastefully mimics film photography, like grain and halation around bright sources of light. I first saw Emmanuel's work whilst browsing Instagram, it first caught my eye because of his use of bold, saturated colours in images like the first one above. When editing in the future, I will test with utilising techniques often seen in film photography.
#5
Zamar Velez is a photographer based in Los Angeles, California. PAPER Magazine had this to say about him during an interview. "With high contrast colours and editing that pulls you into decades past, his work looks like it could be ripped from the pages of a late '90s zine. Zamar's subjects are always at ease, and his environments quietly surreal." His client list includes GQ, V Magazine, Dazed, PAPER and The Face.
I think Zamar shoots digitally, as he has mentioned in an interview that he spends a lot of time editing his photos until he thinks they look cool. The majority of his work is shot on location, although he has conducted numerous studio shoots. I believe that most of his work is shot using flash, sometimes just being a speedlight on his camera to achieve that "90's look" as mentioned before. Although Velez's work is shot digitally, it appears as if it could have been shot on an early digital camera from the early aughts or even a small disposable film camera from the 90's. For his personal work, his choice in models, as stated in the aforementioned interview, is often his friends as they are comfortable around him. However, for commercial work, he often shoots actors or musicians. They are usually photographed partaking in some sort of activity like cycling, eating or jumping, his subjects are rarely captured motionless.
Zamar's images are composed intentionally in order to display the environment that the models are in, this further adds to the atmosphere of looking like an image from decades ago as this what was mostly being photographed, documenting life and ultimately just having fun. He sometimes plays with motion blur and a slower shutter speed in his photos, but most are clear and sharp. The tones in his work are very bold and eye-catching, the colours are very highly saturated and vibrant. I initially admired Zamar's photography because it manages to create a nostalgic atmosphere from the late 90's and early 2000's. I believe this is because of a combination of aspects such as: the lighting often imitating either harsh, natural sunlight, or purposefully mimicking the flash which comes with disposable cameras. The choice to add copious amounts of colour and grain. The style of the models often being that of something which would've been popular decades ago. And finally, the selection of location and props drive home this atmosphere from a bygone era.
The Studio on Lightship 93
Today we visited Lightship 93, a former Trinity House light vessel. The ship retired from lighthouse service in 2004 and has since been taken to Canning Town by Michele Turriani and converted into a studio for photography and film.
We were split into two groups with one model each and had multiple lights. This was a tutorial to further our understanding of portable lighting. Although I did not shoot any fashion/portrait photos, I thought the location was fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting some behind-the-scenes photos of the first group's shoot.
Michele Turriani's Website
The Ultimate Guide to Composition
In this session, we watched this YouTube video, which explains in great detail nine rules of composition for film. We then had a group discussion and came to the conclusion that all of those rules also apply to photography. After that, we were tasked with going out for an hour and using as many of those techniques as possible within three images.
The nine techniques of composition are:
1. Points
2. Lines
3. Shapes
4. Textures & Patterns
5. Space
6. Depth
7. Balance
8. Angles
9. Colour & Tone
These are my images from the task. For the first photo, I used points, space the rule of thirds and balance. For the second image, I used shapes, balance, patterns and textures. I also decided to convert this to black and white as well as used a square crop to emphasise the balance even more. As for the final photo, I used colour and tone, lines, depth, points, textures and patterns. This image is my favourite as it uses the most techniques and is just overall visually pleasing.
Flash on Location Test Shoot
Today we were split into two groups and completed a test shoot for using flash on location. We went up to floor 4 of the university building and used the open space to do the shoot.
These were the photos I took from the shoot. This was achieved by using a three light setup. There was a light at each corner of the pool table with the exception of the front left corner. This created a strong edge light around the subject with a part of the face being in the shadows. The model, Lo, suggested throwing the ball and capturing the image whilst it's in the air. As the shutter speed was at 1/125, there is a small amount of motion blur on the ball, which gives the photo a sense of movement instead of being completely stationary. Overall, I think this exercise was helpful as it showed how you could have the same amount of lighting as in a studio, when on location.
Dramatic Use of Flash
For the first set of three images, we are required to make use of flash lighting in a dramatic way.
It was very convenient that there was a social event being hosted by a friend of mine which consisted of five models and five photographers rotating between each other in order to network and grow confidence within a studio setting. I used this opportunity to fulfil as many of the required images for this unit.
For this specific setup, the studio lighting had different shaped stencils which were placed over the top of the flash. This creates what is seen in the images above. I like how the first image looks like natural light being shone through a window, whilst the subject appears to be in contemplation.
To complete the set, I changed the lighting to a circular shaped stencil and it immediately reminded me of the opening scene of a James Bond movie, partly because of the model's outfit. I decided to place the light on one side of the model's face so that there is a harsh line between the shadows and highlights, as if he is hiding.
For the final image, I wanted a wider perspective. I also chose to add some depth to the photo by asking the model to reach out into the camera lens, this creates a rather cinematic feeling to the image as it is as if I have captured the scene as he is about to pick something up that the viewer cannot see, therefore also adding mystery. I chose to keep the lighting roughly the same but focus it intensely on one eye and let the rest of the light fall onto the backdrop. I chose to convert all of the photos to a faded black and white to further dramatize the scene and emphasise the distinction between light and dark.
I think these photos fit the description of a dramatic use of flash because the create a sense of mystery and suspense within a short space of time. In image one, the subject is appears to be in a room with 'natural light' and in deep thought, potentially about to take action. In the second, he looks less conflicted and has come to terms with what he is going to do, this is also reflected in the lighting being more focussed and the subject choosing to stay firmly within the shadows. For the final image, he is beginning his mission by reaching for an item or a door handle to get out, and by doing so, will completely enter the shadows.
Fill Flash
For the second set of three photos, we are required to use a method called fill flash. This is a photography technique used to brighten deep shadows on a subject. It makes the subject pop from the background and significantly brightens them whilst still maintaining a good exposure for the background.
These photos were also shot during the photography event I attended, where there was also a professional stylist and make-up artist. This outfit contained pieces of a rug from Buckingham Palace within the skirt. As the outfit was fascinating, I wanted full body shots to convey the sense of royalty sewn into it.
These images were shot with a speedlight attached to my camera, as it was an overcast day in Southend, the flash was not at high power. I wanted the fill flash to be subtle but noticeable in order to separate the subject from the background. There are very minimal shadows throughout these photos, this helps display the captivating costume.
As stunning as the outfit is, I also wanted a closer shot of the model to avoid monotony and to get a closer look at the hat and the medals. The flash was at very low power when shooting this photo to create a soft but still prominent separation from the background. The location also serves to compliment the subject as it grounds the photos in nature and doesn't contain any skyscrapers or modern technology etc.
The editing process for these images consisted of muting cooler tones like blues, purples and teals, whilst adding small amounts of saturation to the warmer tones like reds, oranges and yellows. I did not want to edit the photos to such an extreme length that the colour palette of the outfit was completely different or so that the model's skin tones are distorted. I believe I achieved my goal of creating an almost vintage look to the photos which is appropriate for the outfit and setting.
Portrait on a Landscape
For the third set of images, we must shoot a set of three portrait photos on a landscape. I chose not to use flash to distinguish between this set of images and the previous set.
These photos were also shot at the same time as the previous set. I decided to really lean into the vintage, retro style and edit the images in a way that reflected this. I also wanted to create more of a sense of movement in these photos, so I asked the model to hold up the scarf in the first photo and then to spin around and flail the outfit in the third image.
I chose to only shoot head and shoulders or full body shots in an attempt to include the landscape in the photos. I feel as if the landscape fits the theme of the outfit and gives the sense that these images were taken in the 1800's.
Flash on Location
For the flash on location images, I wanted to do something different, so I took my camera and a speedlight whilst walking my dog, Oscar.
For the first image, I placed the ball in the miniature stick fort and told Oscar to lay down. On my speedlight there is a white flash bounce card and a plastic cover which goes over the top of the flash, I used both of them for the whole shoot to diffuse the flash and achieve a more natural look. This also helped when trying not to scare Oscar.
Later on during the walk, I found swans at the edge of a riverbank. I was trying to get them closer to each other, but neither of them seemed to like one another very much. I did however still get a shot with both of them in the frame which I am very happy with, as the focus and light is on Oscar, but the swan is still lurking in the background.
The final image was taken at the end of the walk and I wanted to take a simple, wide close-up shot. Although this shoot was slightly more challenging than I initially anticipated, due to the random and unpredictable nature of animals, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn't usually take a flash on location, and especially not when walking my dog, but this shoot has made me notice how useful it can be when shooting in dimly lit conditions to help keep my camera settings exactly how I want in order to achieve the desired result.
Landscape
For the final set of images for this unit, landscape images, I decided to visit St. Paul's Cathedral and go to the top of the dome to capture three landscape photos of central London.
I chose to edit the images into black and white with very high contrast levels as well as cropping them to a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, which is the most often used aspect ratio for feature films and is the most common size of cinema screen. The decision to convert the photos to black and white was something I chose early on, as it removes any distractions in regards to different colours and unites the image into one, clean palette.
The choice of aspect ratio was solely motivated by my love for movies and film, giving the photos a cinematic feel, as if this is an insert shot from a movie where the characters are coming to London. It also helps show off the most of London in a horizontal frame, as these photos were shot on a 16mm prime lens, and I wanted to show that wide open feeling in the image.
The photos also create a panoramic effect when looked at side by side, as the first photo begins with The Shard in the centre and the Millennium Bridge on the right. In the second photo, The Shard shits to the left side of the frame and the bridge is placed in the middle, this also introduces the One Blackfriars building on the right side. And the set finishes with The Shard nowhere to be seen, the Millennium bridge on the left, and One Blackfriars in the middle.
In Conclusion
This unit has been fun and has pushed my out of my comfort zone of street and documentary photography. I took part in a workshop with other creatives and networked with people I may have never met if not for this course requiring portrait photographs. The feedback I have gotten from other people seeing my images from this project has been amazing and I will definitely look into setting up more studio shoots and expanding my knowledge within that genre of photography.
Using flash on location was something that, before this unit, I was not comfortable with. However, after taking part in the workshops and experimenting with my own equipment, I would now say I am somewhat confident in using the tools required to achieve any result I desire for my images. I have also learnt a lot about lighting methods including; high-key and low-key lighting, fill flash, dramatic use of flash and flash on location. Overall, I look forward to enhancing my skills within my own practice in the future and I see this unit as the catalyst for furthering my own photography style.
