ADVERTISING AND NARRATIVE
The Brief-
A project to help facilitate narrative in both advertising and editorial work. The unit will help build a varied, versatile and technical editorial, adding depth to your narrative and visual language with a focus on different lighting techniques both in the studio and on location.
Produce 15 images using 5 (3 images for each) different lighting and location techniques-
- FILL IN FLASH
- DRAMATIC USE OF FLASH
- FLASH ON LOCATION
- PORTRAIT ON LANDSCAPE
- LANDSCAPE IMAGE
-
LIGHTING
High key lighting-
High key lighting is a style of lighting that results in a brightly lit frame with soft lighting, minimal shadows and low contrast. High key lighting uses more fill lights to reduce the contrast and increase the amount of ambient light resulting in brightly lit subjects. Fashion photographer Richard Avedon (among others) was known for using high key lighting techniques in his work.
Below, the first two images are taken from Richard Avedons' 'In the American West' series and the final two are taken from Samuel Bradleys' work with the 1975s album 'Being Funny in a Foreign Language'.
Low key lighting-
Low key lighting is a lighting technique that accentuates shadows and dark tones resulting in a high contrast image. Low key lighting is achieved using hard sources of light or key lights with minimal to no fill lights. Low key lighting translates well into black and white resulting in dark, moody images. Nadav Lander and Edward Weston are well known for using Low key lighting in their work.
Below, the first two images are taken by portrait photographer Nadav Kander and the final two are taken by American photographer Edward Western.
Photographer Research
Fill in flash- often called daylight flash, fill in flash adds light to shadow areas and brings out detail in the subject when they are underexposed, due to strong back light mainly caused by daylight.
PAOLO ROVERSI (The white story)
Paolo Roversi is an Italian born fashion photographer, living and working in Paris. His work is often characterised by soft, monochromatic photographs of women photographed to accentuate facial features. His work has been featured in publications such as Elle and Vogue. The images above are taken from a 2010 Vogue Italia photoshoot titled 'The White Story'. The photos have been described as setting the tone for a 'white ethereal world' that is 'emotional' and 'beautiful'.
HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORK AND WHERE IS THEIR WORK FEATURED?
Roversi works mainly with celebrity and fashion, photographing fashion icons like Kate Moss and campaigns for fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. His work has also been featured in publications such as Vogue and I-D.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN USED?
I think Roversi used a medium format camera (either a Hasselblad V or a Phase One) to photograph these images with a 24-70mm lens as there are varying shots in the series (some are close ups and other are full length shots).
ARE THEY STUDIO IMAGES OR SHOT ON LOCATION?
I think the series was shot on location as the backdrop doesn't look like a typical studio set up. A white curtain is being used as a backdrop for the images.
WAS A FLASH USED OR NATURAL LIGHTING?
I would say mainly natural light has been used to light the images as you can see the images are taken quite close to a window with the natural light flooding the image, creating spots of light on the white material. I would also say a fill in flash has been used, particularly for the close up shots.
ARE THEY FILM OR DIGITAL IMAGES? If so how is this expressed?
I think the images were shot using film as you can see the layer of grain over the image and the fact that the areas of light in the image are quite overexposed.
WHAT MODELS ARE IN THE IMAGES AND HOW ARE THEY POSED?
The models are posed in a variety of ways that look quite theatrical and remind me of ballet. They are mainly facing away from the camera with only half of their faces visible. These poses reflect back on the description of the images being 'beautiful' and 'ethereal'. The posing is simple yet elegant.
HOW ARE THE IMAGES COMPOSED? What about the composition makes them striking?
The majority of the images are composed centrally with the rule of thirds also present in some of the images. In the bottom left image, the models gaze and the way they are posed creates a leading line looking out toward the window at the edge of the frame. I find that in the bottom middle image the negative space is quite distracting as the model is placed to the edge of the frame. In the top right image, the models head piece is cut off at the top, to elevate the image I would have had the whole head piece in the frame rather than cutting it off.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAR OR ARE THEY SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS?
I would say the images are clear and in focus.
WHAT TONES ARE IN THE IMAGES? (heavy even tones/ high contrast?)
As the image is lit using high key lighting, there are minimal shadows so I would say the tones are more even in the image as they are mostly white- no darker tones are present. The tones could also be slightly low contrast as some of the areas of the image look slightly greyer rather than pure white.
WHAT SORT OF COLOURS ARE IN THE IMAGES? (highly saturated/unsaturated? warm/cool tones?)
The colours in the images are fairly unsaturated as they are monochromatic with little colours (other than white) featuring. I would say the image features some cool tones due to the lack of colour- this makes the image look quite harsh and cold.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAN OR DO THEY APPEAR TO BE EDITED OLDER?
As the images were shot on film, they do appear to look slightly older but still look clean and modern.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF TEXTURE THAT MAKES THE IMAGES UNIQUE?
The textures of the different materials of the backdrop and the models outfits add dimension to the image and the grain from the film compliment the cool toned monochrome of the image. The flooring is also textured which is highlighted by the pools of light from the window.
SELF REFLECTION
This set of images caught my eye in particular as I was drawn in by the monochromatic tones and the fact the entire image was pretty much white. I thought the tones and the way the models are posed in the frame looked elegant and almost ghost like. I particularly like the idea of an all white image and using a cloth backdrop to create some texture and dimension. In terms of composition I like how the rule of thirds has been used and how the images are centrally composed- this is something I want to reflect in my own images. I like how the lighting makes the images look quite airy.
-
Dramatic use of flash- light is focused on one area of the photo and not on other areas. The light source can be focused on one particular area or used to create a pattern within the frame. These images tend to have both light and dark areas (high contrast) making the images look theatrical and atmospheric.
SZILVESZTER MAKÓ
Szilveszter Makó is a Hungarian photographer, living and working in Milan. Makó has a passion for Renaissance style art and edits his images in a similar drawing like style. Makó uses only natural light when lighting his images. His work has been featured in publications such as Numéro and Vogue Portugal. The images above are taken from a number of Makós' work with various publications. The top left and right images are taken from Numéro magazine issue 235 'Paradis Perdus'. The middle images are taken from HERO magazine 'Bauhaus Ballet'. The bottom right image is taken from ICON magazine and the bottom left image is from Makós' portfolio.
HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORK AND WHERE IS THEIR WORK FEATURED?
Makó works mainly with editorial fashion for various publications such as Numéro and ICON. He has also photographed fashion campaigns for brands such as Maison Margiela and Emporio Armani.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU THINK IS USED?
I think this images have been shot digitally so a DSLR camera has been used with a 50mm lens.
ARE THE IMAGES SHOT IN A STUDIO OR ON LOCATION?
The images are all shot in a studio, using a mottled cloth backdrop for the majority of them.
WAS A FLASH USED OR NATURAL LIGHTING?
From research, I know that Makó tends to use only natural lighting when photographing so I would say the overexposed areas were probably edited in in post production. However, I would also say that one flash light has been used coming in from a high angle above the model.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAR OR ARE THEY SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS?
ARE THEY FILM OR DIGITAL IMAGES? If so how is this expressed?
I would say the images are digital images and have been edited to look like they've been shot on film as you can see some grain over the top of them however, the lighting looks like it has been enhanced in post.
WHAT MODELS ARE IN THE IMAGES AND HOW ARE THEY POSED?
The posing of the models in the images is quite theatrical and some are almost reminiscent of Renaissance paintings (which we know to be an inspiration of Makó). The poses aren't too complicated and seem to accentuate the subjects' physique and other features.
HOW ARE THE IMAGES COMPOSED? What about the composition makes them striking?
Most of the images are centrally composed with the subjects placed in the centre of the frame. There's an even amount of negative space around the subjects which doesn't divert attention away from the subject. Although, I would say that in the top right image there is a piece of black material to the side of the frame which I find slightly diverts attention from the subject. Rule of thirds is used in many of the images as well as the golden ratio in the top middle image.
I would say the images are all in focus however, the areas of the images which see the bright overexposure aren't as clear as clear as the rest of the image due to the high exposure.
WHAT TONES ARE IN THE IMAGES? (heavy even tones or high contrast?)
I would say the images have very high contrast tones as they are quite low key in terms of lighting. Bright, overexposed areas of pure white light are featured in small areas of the images which contrast to the dark backdrops and dark clothing worn by the models.
WHAT COLOUR ARE THE IMAGES? (highly saturated/ unsaturated? warm/cool tones?)
The colours in the image are completely desaturated as the images are in black and white. I would say they are quite cool toned as the monochromatic colours of the models' outfits are quite harsh and don't present any warm tones. I would also say the bright areas of light also makes the images look cooler toned.
The colours in the image are completely desaturated as the images are in black and white. I would say they are quite cool toned as the monochromatic colours of the models' outfits are quite harsh and don't present any warm tones. I would also say the bright areas of light also makes the images look cooler toned.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAN OR DO THEY APPEAR TO BE EDITED TO LOOK OLDER?
I would say the images have been edited to appear older. Some of them look almost like they've been drawn or painted, reflecting back on Makós' inspiration from Renaissance artworks.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF TEXTURE MAKING THE IMAGES UNIQUE?
I wouldn't say there is much texture in any of the images apart from some of the backdrops which help to separate the subject from them. In the bottom middle image the model is wearing a head piece which appears to have a spike texture that instantly draws you in.
SELF REFLECTION
These images drew me in as I liked the overexposed areas of light and how highly contrasted these images are. I like the monochrome colours featured and how the posing of the models is quite simplistic, which is something I aim to include in my own work so that the bright areas of light is what captures the attention of the viewer before anything else. I also like the textured backdrop which again is something I want to include in my shoot. I like how composition has been used in the images, particularly the use of the rule of thirds and the golden ratio which is something I want to include in my work.
-
Flash on location- Flash used on a location should be used as the main light and not a fill light. The flash is used to separate the subject from the background so they stand out more in the frame with natural light filling in the shadows.
CINDY SHERMAN
Cindy Sherman is an American artist whose work consists of photographic self portraits that depict herself in different characters. She is one of the most influential photographers in contemporary art and is well known for displaying diversity and stereotypes in her images (particularly surrounding women). The images above are from Shermans' most famous series 'Untitled Film Stills' 1977-1980. The series engages with the ideas of the constructed self and the illusion of identity- Sherman examines and distorts femininity as a social construct. In many ways the series is seen as an example of postmodern art.
HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORK AND WHERE IS THEIR WORK FEATURED?
Sherman is known for mainly creating photographic self portraits of herself dressed as different characters. Sherman has created work for several fashion brands including Prada and Marc Jacobs, she has also created editorials for Harpers Bazaar. Sherman has had her work exhibited in many galleries across the world including The National Portrait Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her work is also in the permanent collections at the Tate Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU THINK IS USED?
I think a 35mm camera was used to take the images in this series with a 35mm-70mm lens as its wide enough to capture the background as well as the subject.
ARE THE IMAGES SHOT IN THE STUDIO OR ON LOCATION?
The images are all shot on location, in a city area surrounded by lots of high rise buildings- making the background look quite busy in the frame.
WAS A FLASH USED OR NATURAL LIGHTING?
As the images are taken outside on location, I would say the main source of light would be natural light. However, a flash could have also been used to brighten the subject. Although the sky is not present in the frame, it doesn't look like a lot of sunlight was present so a flash would have definitely helped highlight the subject and separate her from the background.
ARE THEY FILM OR DIGITAL IMAGES? If so how is this expressed?
The images were definitely shot on film, as the title of the series suggests. You can also tell they are film images as you can see the soft grain over the images and the background details, like the buildings, are quite sharp.
WHAT MODELS ARE IN THE IMAGES, HOW ARE THEY POSED?
In the majority of the images Sherman has posed herself facing away from the camera, looking into the distance- making the images look candid. The posing in the images is simple yet effective as we don't know what has captured the models gaze outside of the frame.
HOW ARE THE IMAGES COMPOSED? What about the composition makes them striking?
In terms of composition, I've found that Sherman has placed herself either in the centre of the frame or to the right hand side of it. Initially, I found this to be quite distracting as there is lots of negative space to the left of the image which diverts the attention away from the model, allowing you to focus on the background scenery more than the subject. However, I found that with the top right image, the subject placed to the side of the frame follows her gaze to the left creating a line for viewers gaze to follow. Angles have also been used effectively in the images as in some you are looking up at the subject when a lower angle has been used and other images a higher angle has been used so you are looking down on her. Rule of thirds is also present in the images where the subject is placed at the edge of the frame and also when she is more centrally composed.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAR OR ARE THEY SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS?
The images seem to be clear and in focus.
WHAT TONES ARE IN THE IMAGES? (heavy even tones or high contrast?)
The tones in the image are quite even, there doesn't appear to be any bright natural light so there aren't many shadows to make the images highly contrasted.
WHAT SORT OF COLOUR ARE THE IMAGES? (highly saturated/ unsaturated? warm/ cool tones?)
The images are in black and white so they are completely desaturated. Some of the images look cooler toned than others. I would say where there is slightly more natural light in some of the images, they look warmer toned.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAN OR DO THEY APPEAR TO BE EDITED TO APPEAR OLDER?
The images look clean to me, they don't need to be edited to look older as they were already shot on film.
IS THERE ANY TEXTURE IN THE IMAGES THAT MAKE THEM UNIQUE?
I don't think there's really any texture in any of the images, maybe apart from some of the buildings in the background. Other than that the images appear to be quite flat and 2 dimensional.
SELF REFLECTION
I really liked the ideas behind this series of work (projecting ideas of female stereotypes and postmodernism) and how each image is supposed to represent a typical scene from a film during the 50s and 60s. I like how the images are simple yet effective as they make the viewer think deeper behind the narratives. I definitely aim to create something with a similar narrative and have maybe the same model pose as different 'characters' or versions of themselves. I know Shermans' work is mostly self portraiture but I don't feel comfortable with photographing myself. I might also try and shoot some of the images on film to replicate the style of her images. I will also take into consideration how composition has been used and how I can use different angles effectively in my work.
-
Portrait on a landscape- Done outside of the studio, where the location doesn't tell a story about the subject, it helps set the tone and mood of the image.
PETER LINDBERGH
Peter Lindbergh was a German fashion photographer and film director, known for his cinematic images and recognised as one of the most influential contemporary photographers. Lindbergh replaces staged glamour with a vérité (meaning 'truth' in French) approach, enhanced by his use of high contrast black and white photography and the use of body movement to celebrate the human form. Lindbergh offered a new interpretation of women without focusing on the fashion in his images. He has photographed many of the top 90s models including Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss. The images above are from a Vogue Italia shoot in 2016 and German magazine 'Zeit'.
HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORK AND WHERE IS THEIR WORK FEATURED?
Peter Lindbergh works with fashion imagery, often photographing women particularly 90s models like Kate Moss. Lindberghs work has been featured in many top fashion publications such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. Lindberghs' work has been featured in galleries across the world including the V&A museum in London and the Galerie Gilbert Brownstone in Paris. Lindbergh also shot a number of films including 'Models'- a documentary shooting models in New York.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU THINK IS USED?
I think a DSLR was used to shoot these images, From research I know Lindbergh would use a Nikon D4/5 to shoot portraits. I think a 50mm lens may have been used.
ARE THE IMAGES SHOT IN THE STUDIO OR ON LOCATION?
The images are shot on location at a beach. The calm and peaceful location of the beach makes the subjects look small and isolated as there's nothing else around them apart from the seascape.
WAS A FLASH USED OR NATURAL LIGHTING?
I would say that as the images have been shot on location, both natural light and a flash light has been used to light them. I know that Lindbergh uses blackout drapes above the models to control the amount of sunlight flooding the image, so I would say this technique has also been used here. In the bottom right image, there is a beam of sunlight coming into the frame from the right hand side- I would say this is from the sun as it looks to be positioned to the right of the frame in most of the other images.
ARE THEY FILM OR DIGITAL IMAGES? If so how is this expressed?
The images were shot digitally.
WHAT MODELS ARE IN THE IMAGES, HOW ARE THEY POSED?
The models in the images are mostly posed walking and looking down at their reflection in the water. In the image at the bottom left, the subject is posed leaning back with their arms outstretched looking up to the sky- accentuating his physique. The majority of the subjects aren't looking at the camera setting the tone of candid images during a beach walk. In the bottom middle image, there are two models in the image, one resting their head on the other which could highlight the relationship between the two.
HOW ARE THE IMAGES COMPOSED? What about the composition makes them striking?
In the majority of the images, the models are centrally composed (with the exception of the top middle image). The top middle image shows some kind of structure around the outside framing the model within the frame. There is a slight shadow of something coming off of the structure creating a line leading directly to the model in the right corner of the image. All of the images feature a lot of negative space surrounding the subjects, setting a tone of isolation and sombre to the image. In two of the images the models are walking through water creating a reflection almost symmetrical to what is happening in the frame. The rule of thirds is present in the bottom row of images where all the subjects are centrally composed.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAR OR ARE THEY SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS?
I would say the images are clear and in focus.
WHAT TONES ARE IN THE IMAGES? (heavy even tones or high contrast?)
I would say the tones in the image are fairly low contrast as there are lots of grey tones in the image but no true white tones, although there are some black tones featured in the subjects clothing.
WHAT SORT OF COLOUR ARE THE IMAGES? (highly saturated/ unsaturated? warm/ cool tones?)
The images look quite cool toned as there isn't much daylight coming through- the skies are quite overcast creating shadowy, cooler lighting in the frame. I would say potentially the models' outfits may have had the colour saturation increased so they look bolder and darker compared to the rest of the image which is much lighter. However, overall the colours are completely desaturated as the image is in black and white.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAN OR DO THEY APPEAR TO BE EDITED TO LOOK OLDER?
The images look clean and don't appear to look like they've been edited to look older.
IS THERE ANY TEXTURE IN THE IMAGES THAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE?
I don't think there is much texture in the images, maybe apart from the different patterns that have been stepped into the sand and ripples from the waves. The images appear quite flat.
SELF REFLECTION
These images caught my eye as I liked the idea of using a beach as a location and how it makes the subject look so isolated in the frame. To develop this idea into my own, I aim to use a beach with the view of a cityscape in the background as I think this will look quite interesting in an image with the contrast between the serenity and isolation of the beach and the busy city life. I also just liked the simplicity of how the models were posed and how their outfits are creating shape around them. I will also take into account how composition has been used, centrally positions the subjects in the frame and using negative space to set the mood and atmosphere of my images.
-
Landscape photography- The art of capturing pictures of nature and the outdoors in a way that brings the viewer into the scene. The best landscape images show the photographers own connection to the scene and how they capture the essence of the world around them.
MICHAEL KENNA
Michael Kenna is an English photographer best known for his unusual black and white landscapes featuring ethereal light. Kenna achieved this look by photographing at either dawn or night with exposures of up to 10 hours. Kenna uses a lot of symmetry and rule of thirds in his images and only shoots in black and white as it is 'immediately more mysterious as we see in colour all the time'. Kenna doesn't seek to present an accurate image of the world, but to extract something original and emotive from it. A number of the images above are seascapes in West Sussex, 2019. Other images were taken around France and Venice between 2009 and 2017.
HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER WORK AND WHERE IS THEIR WORK FEATURED?
Kenna is known for his landscape photography, working exclusively in black and white. His images focus on landscape and human made sculptures. Among this, Kenna has also photographed commercial work for brands such as Volvo and Audi. Kenna has work featured in the collections of many galleries and museums such as the Patrimoine Photographique in Paris and the V&A museum in London.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU THINK IS USED?
I think a medium format camera has been used. From research I know Kenna uses a Hasselblad camera. I know Kenna uses a range of lenses to shoot his images, from 40mm-250mm.
ARE THE IMAGES SHOT IN THE STUDIO OR ON LOCATION?
The images are landscape images therefore all are shot on location across France, Venice and West Sussex. The majority of the images are seascapes, setting an isolated tone to the images. The isolation of the images makes the landscapes look serene and peaceful through the lack of subjects featured. The landscapes used create a calming atmosphere when looking at the images.
WAS A FLASH USED OR NATURAL LIGHTING?
As the images were shot on location, natural lighting was used. It looks as though there isn't much sunlight in the images as the skies look quite grey and overcast, making the lighting look quite moody. The small pockets of sunlight look much brighter in amongst the overcast skies.
ARE THE IMAGES FILM OR DIGITAL? If so how is this expressed?
The images are film images. You can tell this by the sharpness of the images and the detail that is brought out (especially in any structures) that a digital camera might not capture. I can also tell they were shot on film as there is a soft layer of grain over the images that instantly tells these are film.
WHAT MODELS ARE IN THE IMAGES, HOW ARE THEY POSED?
There are no models in the images.
HOW ARE THE IMAGES COMPOSED? What about the composition makes them striking?
I've noticed a lot of symmetry in Kennas' work which I think is present in some of the images above. This composition makes Kennas' images look clean and balanced. This also makes the images, particularly the bottom left images, aesthetically pleasing to look at. Throughout these images, there is lots of negative space however, I think the use of negative space in these images provides an undistracted composition as you are immediately drawn to the one aspect of positive space in the image (the subject). The use of the 'rule of thirds' in the bottom right image is effective as it creates a visual flow between the background and the chairs, it also helps to take away from the large amount of negative space as I still feel drawn to the chairs even though there is lots of emptiness in the frame. The images are all very centrally composed with the subjects being in the centre of the frame.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAR OR ARE THEY SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS?
I would say the images are clear yet they are almost out of focus due to the long exposure that blurs the movements in the sea and sky.
WHAT TONES ARE IN THE IMAGES? (heavy even or high contrast)
The tones in the images are actually quite low contrast as there are no true white tones featured. The image is made up of grey tones across areas of the sea and sky. However, it's almost difficult to tell as the darker areas in the image are black, making it look as though the image has some high contrast tones.
WHAT SORT OF COLOUR ARE THE IMAGES? (highly saturated/ unsaturated? warm/cool tones?)
The images look quite cool toned as the skies appear to be quite overcast and cloudy so not much sunlight is present to give the images a warmer tone. As the images are in black and white, the colours are therefore completely desaturated.
ARE THE IMAGES CLEAN OR DO THEY APPEAR TO BE EDITED TO APPEAR OLDER?
The images were shot on film so weren't edited to look older, yet the images do look clean and modern despite this.
IS THERE ANY TEXTURE IN THE IMAGES TO MAKE THEM UNIQUE?
There isn't much texture in the images apart from some grain from the film and the different textures of the rocks on the pebble beach in the bottom right image.SELF REFLECTION
The images caught my eye as I loved the use of a longer exposure to blur the lines between the sea and the sky which made me focus on the centre of the image more (which tend to be where there is a structure included). I liked the way Kenna uses composition in his images, I liked the use of symmetry in the bottom images and how this balanced them out. I've noticed he uses the rule of thirds throughout his work which is something I want to try and incorporate in my work. I like the use of lighting in the images especially how the overcast skies make the image look quite dark and moody yet there are areas of sunlight beaming through, this is something I would like to emulate in my images.
-
SHOOT PROCESS
FILL IN FLASH
mood board for the shoot inspired by THE WHITE STORY by Paolo Roversi
Lighting diagrams
To light the set I used two flash lights, one on the right hand side angled toward the subject with a beauty dish attached and the second light facing a poly board with a reflector dish attached. I used the white side of the poly board so that the light would bounce back into the shadows of the image to give more high key lighting within the frame, with minimal shadow. The beauty dish gave a harsher and brighter light on the subject.
I used a white backdrop on the set as I wanted the whole image to be predominantly
white. To add a bit of texture to the backdrop I draped a large white sheet over the top of the backdrop and had an assistant holding the sheet on the side of the set to create a pleated/ruched look. I didn't use many props aside from the white cube.
Equipment list:
- WHITE STUDIO BACKDROP
- WHITE COTTON SHEET
- 1 X POLYBOARD
- 2 X LIGHTING STANDS
- 2 X ELINCHROM 1000 FLASH LIGHTS
- 1 X BEAUTY DISH
- 1 X REFLECTOR DISH
- CANON R
- MACBOOK PRO
- WHITE CUBE
- 1 X POLYBOARD STAND
- TRANSMITTER
- 24-105MM LENS
POST PRODUCTION
In Photoshop, I started by using the spot healing tool to remove any spots and blemishes from the models skin.
I then went on to begin to smooth the skin out by applying the high pass filter which added a grey layer over the top of the image. I set the radius to 10 pixels.
I added the Gaussian blur filter and set the radius to 5.
I applied the linear light filter which took away the grey layer and decreased the light in the image.
I then inverted the layer which blurred the image and went into the blend options tool and decreased the halos around the image.
Finally, I added a layer mask and used the brush tool to paint over the skin to smooth it out. I brought the opacity down so that some of the subjects unedited skin would show through.
For the image where I used the white cube, I used the spot healing tool to remove any marks and imperfections so the cube looked cleaner in the image.
I USED THE SAME EDITING PROCESS FOR EACH OF THE IMAGES WHERE IT WAS NECESSARY.
FINAL 3 IMAGES
Professional documents
-
DRAMATIC USE OF FLASH
mood board for the shoot inspired by Szilveszter Makó
Lighting diagrams
To light the images I used only one 1200 flash light on a boom in order to get a high angle to point the light from above the subject. I wanted to achieve a confined stream of light focusing on the subjects face only, to do this I used a snoot covered with black tape with a small hole to allow light through. This allowed me to achieve a narrow strip of light over the subjects face without any light spilling on to the backdrop as I wanted this to remain as dark as possible. I had the light set quite high to achieve an overexposed look through the camera.
I used a cloth backdrop for this shoot in order to achieve the texture that Makó often features in his images.
Equipment list:
- 1 X 1200 ELINCHROM FLASH LIGHT
- BOOM LIGHTING STAND
- 1 X SNOOT
- CANON R
- MACBOOK PRO
- RED CLOTH BACKDROP
- TRANSMITTER
- CANON 24-105MM ZOOM LENS
- SANDISK EXTREME PRO 128 GB SD CARD
POST PRODUCTION
I edited this set of images in Capture One, using different layers to separate the areas of the image that i wanted to edit. I created 5 adjustment layers, starting with the background which I made darker as to separate the model from the backdrop. I then used the brush tool to paint a mask over the various areas that I wanted to re touch. Starting with the subjects shirt, I brought down the exposure as I had found some of the light had spilled on to the shirt making it look slightly over exposed which I didn't want. I then adjust the trousers, as they were quite light I found that if I increased the exposure and highlights this gave a highly contrasted effect similar to what the flash light was doing. I then increased the exposure of the subjects head as much as I could to really make the light over exposed.
I used Nik Software 'Silver Efex pro 3' to put each of the images into black and white, using the 'Fine Art' pre set. I used this pre set as it made the texture in the backdrop stand out more, similar to Makós' images. This pre set also gave the images a painting effect reflecting on Makós' influences of Renaissance style art.
FINAL 3 IMAGES
-
FLASH ON LOCATION
mood board inspired by Cindy Shermans' 'Untitled Film Stills' series
lighting diagrams
In terms of lighting for this shoot, I used a flash gun that I attached to the top of my camera to incorporate some artificial lighting into my images. Using the flash gun helped even out any shadowy areas in the images left from the sunlight. I shot these images just behind the university on Olympic Way around the tall, high rise buildings as there are lots of buildings present in Shermans' film stills and also in the images in my mood board. I moved around the area, shooting some of the images on the white bridge in order to experiment with different angles and perspectives of the buildings.
I had set the flash gun to an f stop of 4.0 as I didn't want a really harsh flash lighting the image, I wanted it so that the lighting looked fairly natural and evened out any shadows that were in the frame around the subject.
Equipment list:
- CANON R
- CANON 24-105MM ZOOM LENS
- METZ 64 AF 1 DIGITAL FLASHGUN
- SANDISK EXTREME PRO 128 GB SD CARD
POST PRODUCTION
I started by adjusting the exposure and dynamic range where I felt it was necessary. I used the same adjustments for each of the three images, decreasing the exposure as the background was slightly overexposed. I increased the contrast so the texture of the building would stand out more. I then began to smooth the subjects skin out in photoshop. I used the spot healing brush to remove any blemishes and redness on the subjects skin.
I started by applying the high pass filter and the Gaussian blur filter which added a grey layer over the original image. I used the linear light filter an inverted the image layer so the image appeared blurred. I used blending modes to reduce the light halos and added a layer mask. I then used the brush tool to paint over the mask and smooth skin out. I adjusted the opacity to bring back some of the models skin texture to make it look more natural.
I added a black and white filter to my images using Nik Software 'Silver Efex pro 3' and applied a filter that had some sepia tones as this was similar to the tones in some of Shermans images. I then added some grain to the images to make them look as though they were shot on film, similar to Cindy Shermans work.
FINAL 3 IMAGES
-
PORTRAIT ON A LANDSCAPE
A mood board inspired by the work of Peter Lindberghs' beach images
Lighting diagrams
When lighting my images, I used a flashgun that I had an assistant hold which they moved around depending on where I wanted the light to hit the subject. It was quite an overcast and cloudy day so there wasn't much sunlight, the use of the flash gun was quite important to get even lighting across the frame. I made sure the artificial lighting wasn't too bright and mainly highlighted the subjects face, separating them from the background.
The images were shot along the bank side of the Thames over looking the skyline of Canary Wharf. I wanted the images to be based around the juxtaposition of the calm beach like location with the tall high rise buildings of a busy city, developing Lindberghs' images into my own style.
Equipment list:
- CANON R
- CANON 24-105MM ZOOM LENS
- SANDISK EXTREME PRO 128 GB SD CARD
- GODOX AD200
POST PRODUCTION
I didn't re touch any of the images in capture one as I found the exposure to be okay, so rendering this wasn't necessary. I then began to smooth the subjects skin out in photoshop starting with using the spot healing brush, I went over any blemishes or red areas on the subjects skin. I then applied the high pass filter and the gaussian blur filter, this added a grey layer over the original image. I applied the linear light filter and inverted the layer to make the image appear blurred and accentuated the light halos. I brought the light halos down using blend modes and finally added a layer mask which allowed me to paint over the skin, to give it a smoothed effect. I reduced the opacity so that some of the texture of the skin would show through.
I applied the 'contrasty' pre set in Silver Efex pro which converted the image into black and white and added areas of contrast to the highlights of the image, mainly in the sky and where the lighting was hitting the subjects face.
FINAL 3 IMAGES
-
LANDSCAPE
A mood board inspired by the work of Michael Kenna
Lighting diagrams:
As this was a landscape shoot I didn't have a lighting set up. I used only natural lighting that was available to me on the day of my shoot, no artificial lighting was used. The skies were very overcast on the day of the shoot but it was still very bright out providing me with fairly even light coverage in the frame.
This image was taken on the day of the shoot, showing the weather conditions and the type of light I was working with
Equipment list:
- CANON R
- CANON 24-105MM ZOOM LENS
- SANDISK EXTREME PRO 128 GB SD CARD
POST PRODUCTION
To emulate the long exposure effect that features in the majority of Kennas' work, I took my images into photoshop and started by selecting the subject within the image. I then inverted the image so the background was selected as this is what I wanted to blur and create the effect of a long exposure. I then applied the radial blur filter and found the most static point in the image as this is where the blur would be directed from. Once I had done this the filter was applied, but I found it had blurred some of the subject and made it look quite ghostly. To remove this and bring back the sharp edges of the subject I used the brush tool and painted these areas back in. I found on the image where the structure had more intricate details this was much harder to paint back the detail in without removing the blur from the background. Once I had done this, I selected the sea and added a layer mask to separate it from the rest of the image. I added motion blur to this area to make the sea look more natural and less static in the frame. Finally, I began to refine the edges by increasing the feather slider so that there wasn't an obvious line between the blurring of the sea and sky. This just made the image look more natural. I edited the image into black and white and used the sliders to separate the colours and increase them where I wanted more contrast (particularly the reds so the subject/s were darker and appeared more contrasted from the rest of the image).
FINAL 3 IMAGES
-
CONCLUSION
When it came to this project, I was excited to experiment with different lighting techniques and seeing how this could potentially elevate future work. I've found the style of photography I am enjoying shooting at the moment (black and white fashion) so when gathering inspiration and research I mostly stuck to black and white fashion photographers as this gave me the most inspiration for my own work.
When shooting fill flash I worked in the studio to create a monochromatic white series of images. I am really happy with how these images came out and they are some of my favourite studio images I have taken so far. I had a fairly simple lighting set up with one light on the subject (with a beauty dish) and another light facing a poly board (with a reflector dish) allowing the light to bounce off and reflect into the frame. I found this gave me a nice even light with minimal shadows which was perfect for what I set out to achieve. I didn't encounter many issues with this shoot as the lighting and studio set up was perfect for what I wanted to capture. If I was to do anything differently with this shoot I would perhaps experiment with posing the model differently as I felt I had similar poses in each image. I would also experiment with the angles at which I was shooting from to add even more variety in the shots. Other than that I am really happy with the final outcomes!
I found dramatic use of flash more difficult to shoot and found it required lots of experimentation to get the lighting to be what I wanted it to be. I was particularly inspired by Szilveszter Makós' work because of how highly contrasted it was, with areas of the image completely overexposed so there were just pure white areas of light. I found that trying to get the bright light to hit only the subjects face for example was difficult as the light spilled on to the backdrop, which I wanted to remain dark. I tried many methods of perfecting the lighting set up using the boom lighting stand to have the light at a higher angle almost above the subject to using various reflector dishes to try and refrain the light to just on the model. I finally found that using the snoot with tape around it and a small hole allowed the light to filter through and hit just the model without any spilling on the background. I also found that the backdrop I used didn't quite give the textured effect I wanted it to and found that during editing and trying different black and white pre sets that the texture faded a lot of the time. I do like the final outcome of the images as I feel I managed to achieve the high contrast and isolated areas of overexposure in my images.
Shooting flash on location also came with some experimenting as it was difficult to find the right angles to get the tops of the buildings in the frame as well as the subject. I ended up shooting the majority of the images at quite a low angle looking up toward the subject to achieve an image similar to Cindy Shermans' 'film stills'. Once I had found the right angle, I was really happy with how these images came out. I think the lighting in the images looks even and fills in any shadowy areas across the subjects face. I think if I were to shoot the images again, I would have perhaps used a wide angled lens to get more of the background into the frame.
When shooting the images for portrait on a landscape, I was really happy with how the location looked within the frame. I think the contrast between the city skyline and the calm water front looked quite effective with the subject against them. I wasn't overly happy with how these images came out as I felt like I could have experimented more with the angles at which I was capturing the images and how I was posing the subject to achieve more movement within the frame. I was also under time constraints on this particular day as it was due to rain not long after I started shooting. I also had to be aware of the tide coming in as we were shooting quite close to the water front. I am pleases with how the lighting looks within the frame as it highlights the subjects face nicely. If I had the time I would probably re shoot this image as I think I can improve upon the composition and angles.
When shooting my landscape images, I was inspired by Michael Kennas' work and his use of long exposures. I wanted to shoot a seascape so I went to Brighton and photographed around the west pier as I liked the look of the derelict structures around this area. I think these worked really well looking back on the final images as you can see the contrast between the sharp edges of the structures and the dark colours to the bright, almost white sky and the blur of the sea. Although I think the location I had picked was a good fit for what I wanted to achieve, I did struggle to find a variety of things to photograph that gave me the look I wanted to achieve. I also wasn't able to create the long exposures through the lens as I didn't have a tripod with me, which is something I would like to try out if I were to shoot these images again. I'm happy with how I edited my images as I think I made the long exposure look as natural as possible and like it was straight from the camera. I'm also really happy with my compositions, I think I incorporated Kennas' use of symmetry well to balance out my images. Overall, I am really happy with how these images have come out and would like to use this technique in my future work!
Overall, I am pleased with the work I have created for this unit. I think there are definitely aspects of the shoots I would do again if I had the chance, particularly the dramatic use of flash- I think I could have done with testing out the lighting first to make sure I really perfected it. I think testing out the lighting and studio set up for my shoots is something I will think more about in the future as I think this will help me achieve the best possible outcomes and give me more time to reflect on what I am able to improve through the lens. I have enjoyed looking at different lighting techniques and look forward to incorporating these into my future work!
-
