Advertising and Narrative
Brief
This unit is designed to help facilitate a sense of narrative in your work, both in adverting and editorial practice. This will be via various means such as the employment of fill-flash, fill-flash on location, the act of shooting landscape, the use of dramatic flash and portraits on location, this will be taught by workshops both in the studio and on location. We will learn the technical aspects and protocols of shooting on location as well as how to implement our own self-directed outcomes for an editorial spread. There will be case studies from the advertising industry used as templates for this approach and you will be expected to shoot in different genres.
• Guest lectures this term will be from practitioners who regularly shoot editorial and advertising work.
• This is a self-directed outcome that is informed by your parallel unit.
• Tutorials will also be employed on a 1:1 basis to make sure you are on track with your practice throughout this term.
This unit will teach you valuable skills that will help build a varied, versatile and technical editorial that can add a depth to your narrative and visual language.
Deliverables
• 15 separate images in Jpg, PDF and RAW
• Digital Workbook You will be required to make 15 independent images of your own creation which correspond to the workshops taught, therefore attendance to these workshops will be important.
• Fill Flash x 3
• Dramatic use of Flash x 3
• Flash on Location x 3
• Portrait on a landscape x 3
• Landscape Image x 3
Brain storming
The first thing I did once receiving the brief was making a brainstorm of ideas, so I have a selection of ideas to pick for each set of images. That way I could work out what equipment I might need and also the locations I will need to find.
Equipment Test
I decided to carry out an equipment test using potential equipment I feel I would need.
I though as the module is flash and location heavy I would test out the Profoto A10 Flash Gun, a Canon 5D that is compatible with, and then also two portable lights.
Practice with the Canon 5d and Profoto A10.
Practice with the Canon 5d and Profoto A10, and two portable lights.
The Idea: Flash on Location
For this shoot I plan to shoot new jumpers from a graphics designer who needs advertising content. I want a fun shoot which features elements of youth culture.
Research: Flash on Location
For my research I looked mainly at three photographers: Fashion photographers Alex de Mora and Hanina Pinnick, and then Drew Taylor a photographer who is part of the Storror free-running group.
Drew Taylor
Drew Taylor is photographer and content creator for the Storror free-running group.
I believe that he shot this image on a digital camera with a fisheye lens, I can tell this as the corners of the image are dark and the image has a spherical composition which are both trademarks of a fisheye lens. The lighting is quite harsh and dramatic but appears to come from the same direction of the camera. To me the light used was a flash gun camera attachment. There's two people featured in the image, one man is in the background but the main model is highlighted by the camera flash and is in the centre of the spherical fish eye composition. The models pose is off balance which make its feel strange and almost a little fun. I really like the image as it feels chaotic, like free running. The urban location and graffiti tag in the background fits the photographer and theme.
Colour wise I think its a little green, which they have perhaps done in post.
I feel like free running fits with the youth culture theme I want for my images. I also like the chaotic feel of the image which I could try and replicate.
Moodboard: Flash on Location
Recce: Flash on Location test shoot
Location - Glengarnock Avenue flats Stairway 32-62, E14 3BP
Test Shoot
Recce: Flash on Location final shoot
Location - SE10 0JH, 51.499823, -0.002143
Lighting Diagrams: Flash on Location
Equipment list: Flash on Location
2x - Portable Light (an extra in case lighting is bad)
2x - Portable Light Stand (an extra in case lighting is bad)
1x - Profoto A10 Flash Gun
1x - Canon 5d
The Shoot: Flash on Location
After the test shoot I decided I wanted to carry out the shoot during the day and not at night.
Editing: Flash on Location
The first thing I did was go through the images I had taken and selected the ones I liked using the star and colour tag function on Capture One. I then made two different edits for this shoot.
For the first edit I wanted to see if I preferred a more contrast look. Such as the edit below. For this edit I decreased the the saturation, exposure and contrast, but enhanced shadows and added clarity and structure. This is a style that I have used before and I personally really like.
Edit 1:
I wasn't content with the first edit, I wanted to go down a different route and explore if something else fitted this shoot more than the style of edit 1.
I played with the white balance of the images, specifically the kelvin to try make the images feel slightly warmer. I also increased the saturation, shadow, and contrast the blacks slightly. Depending on the image I took the exposure and brightness down accordingly.
The main part of the editing process was to enhance certain areas and colours in the images. To do this I created layers and then used the masking and magic brush tool to select individual parts of the images. I wanted the images to feel the same and fit together so tried to edit each image roughly the same way. I concentrated on editing the blue of the sky, red of the models trousers, and also the black and white of the jumper so the design would pop out more. Sometimes I brightened part of the images so they were more visible.
Edit 2:
Outcome: Flash on Location
This shoot was very frustrating and it took a long time to get something I could end up submitting. However there are some images I really like and lot of things I can take from these shoots.
The Idea: Dramatic use of Flash
My idea is a studio based shoot with low-key lighting, that creates lots of shadows.
Research: Dramatic use of Flash
Nikita Zhurnakov
Zhurnakov is photographer who's shoots consist of lots of dramatic lighting, which is often colourful.
This lowkey lighting image was taken in a studio with a high performing DSLR, I think only one continuous spot light was used, it was placed directly above the model using a jib crane. The spot light had some sort of red gel attached. The spotlight created a beam effect, which brings the viewers attention directly to the model below.
There is some sort of haze in the image, particularly in the light beam. It could be light smoke that was perhaps created in the studio by a smoke machine. However it is possible to edit that into the image in post. The grain in the image has definitely been added in.
The two dominant colours in the image are red and black. These colours were present when shot but have also been enhanced during the editing process. I believe they increased the red in the light beam and also the face chest and shoulders of the model. The shadows have been enhanced on the edges of the image and also under the chin and around the neck of the model.
The model's pose (standing facing straight up, arms down but slightly outwards) is very dramatic and powerful. The pose fits into the beam of the light perfectly, which for me creates a striking composition which is the reason the image sticks out to me.
I really like the beam of the light how the viewers eyes are drawn to the model!
Moodboard: Dramatic use of Flash
Test Shoot: Dramatic use of Flash
In the test shoot I tried various things, none of which I was satisfied with.
Final Moodboard: Dramatic use of Flash
After the test shoot I decided to create a new moodboard, it will still be based on low-key lighting with dramatic flash and shadow.
Lighting Diagrams: Dramatic use of Flash
Equipment list: Dramatic use of Flash
1x - Elinchrom EL-Skyport Trigger Speed Set
2x - Elinchrom Digital 1200 RX Kit (1200 RX Kit)
2x - Snoot
1x - Overhead lighting Boom
1x - Lighting Stand
1x - Octa softbox with a grid
1x - Phase One Camera
1x - 80mm Phase One lens
1x - 120mm Phase One Lens
1x - Camera Tripod
Second Test Shoot: Dramatic use of Flash
The Shoot: Dramatic use of Flash
Editing: Dramatic use of Flash
To start editing these images I first went through the images I had shot and decided on my favourite three images using the star rating feature on Capture One. I then cropped the images, as some had the crane and softbox at the top of the image. I also added grain to the images.
I created layers so I could edit individual parts of the image. On each image I enhanced the chain necklace to make it more clear and glint more. I increased the shadow on two of the images in the neck, face, and shoulders, and on the third I increased the exposure very slightly on the face and head.
Outcome: Dramatic use of Flash
These three images are probably my three strongest images from this whole module. After some changes and then persevering and testing some different things out I managed to create something I am quite proud of. And also gotten a fairly good response from my fellow students.
The Idea: Portrait in a Landscape
I came up with a number of concepts at first. The one I was most excited for was a Portrait based on reflections using mirrors, however I figured this would hard to replicate with using flash lighting. After a few other ideas I thought of a black and white photo shoot based by the sea or river, with a moody aesthetic.
Research: Portrait in a Landscape
Laura Pannack
This documentary portrait was taken outside on location.
I think natural lighting was the only thing used to light this image. I reckon it was shot on film with a medium format camera, using an 80mm lens.
The composition is simple yet affective in creating a vulnerable but very natural feel. The model is the clear focus of the image, with open fields in the landscape as the background. The model being naked and showing their back creates the vulnerable feel, yet eyes looking straight at the camera makes it powerful. The natural colours such as green makes the image fresh and natural.
I really like the simplicity of the shot, and how she captures humanity in its most raw form and connects it with nature. It's a portrait within a landscape in the most simple way.
Moodboards: Portrait in a Landscape
I had a lot of potential ideas and moodboards but I eventually settled on a black and white aesthetic.
Recce: Portrait in a Landscape
Location - North Greenwich SE10 0JH, 51.50202034870752, -0.0016960451432230287
Lighting Diagrams: Portrait in a Landscape
Equipment list: Portrait in a Landscape
2x - Portable Light (an extra in case lighting is bad)
2x - Portable Light Stand (an extra in case lighting is bad)
1x - Profoto A10 Flash Gun
1x - Canon 5d
The Shoot: Portrait in a Landscape
Editing: Portrait in a Landscape
Using Capture One I looked at the images I had captured and narrowed the one I liked using the star rating method. After selecting the images the main part of the editing process was making images black and white, and playing withe shadows.
I made the blacks and shadows more prominent and also lowered the exposure and contrast. Finally adding clarity.
After this I went to the black and white editing section and edited the colour sensitivity of the individual colour regions under the desaturated main layer. Yellow, Green, Blue and Magenta all went down which has a darkening affect on those colours in the image, I then increased the cyan which lightens those parts of the image.
Once that was done I used the split tone section to edit the colour tones. Basically bringing the hue under the desaturated layer up
Outcome: Portrait in a Landscape
I believe I got some strong images on this shoot. I like how I created the black and white images, perhaps with more preparation I could have taken more images so I would have had more to choose from.
The Idea: Landscape
For this section of the module I really wanted to go back to one of my first inspirations in photography, which was Don McCullin and in particular his landscape work.
Research: Landscape
Don McCullin
Although McCullin is known for his photojournalism work, where he covers wars and famine, he also does landscape photography. His landscape images are often gloomy, all have a menacing feel about them, almost like a threat is never far away. They also all look a bit lonely. Perhaps his experiences of war and suffering are coming out in his photos even if they are about a different subject. A lot of his photos of the English countryside even look like battlefields.
I selected this image because it's one of McCullin's image which I tried to replicate in my early photography.
As a landscape image this was shot on location and used natural lighting. You can tell from the image that it was shot on a film camera, perhaps with a 35mm lens which is synonymous with McCullin's work.
The image is dark with cold tones and is unsaturated. This image has no people, in fact its quite an empty landscape, there is no trees or buildings apart from in the vast distance so only appear as mere shadows. The composition is simple yet powerful to me. The image is split into two by the horizon, the bottom half is the empty fields which are divided by a curving farm track that disappears into the distance. The top half of the image is a gloomy and brooding sky.
I want to try and replicate the film aesthetic of this image, and maybe even try and capture similar compositions to some his other classic landscape work.
Moodboard: Landscape
Recce: Landscape
Guilford locations:
- Pewley Downs
- Chantry Wood
- St Martha's Church
Norfolk location:
- Winterton beach
Equipment list: Landscape
1x - Nikon D7500
1x - Canon 5d
The Guilford Shoot : Landscape
The Winterton Shoot: Landscape
Editing: Landscape
The hardest part of the post production was selecting what images from two shoots I wanted to use. Using the star rating method on Capture One I rated my images, giving the ones I liked high ratings. I then used the colour tag options to put these images into small groups that would go together.
I then proceeded to edit these images using a similar method to how I edited the portrait in a landscape images.
Outcome: Landscape
I am quite happy with what I have managed to create. They fit with what I originally intended to do, though maybe the compositions are a bit dull.
The Idea: Fill in Flash
My idea is a fashion shoot with a city scape background.
Research: Fill in Flash
Ryo Sato
Sato is a videographer and photographer. I believe for the image below he used DSLR camera. This was shot on location in a city scape, I believe the photographer used to light the background but perhaps two lights for the models.
The colours and tones of the image feel quite blue, I believe he enhanced some of the blue in the editing process. I really like the blue tones, I think it suits the city scape really well, I would really like to replicate that for my project.
Composition wise it's quite fun, it adds something interesting to a plain urban landscape.
Moodboard: Fill in Flash
Recce: Fill in Flash
Location - North Greenwich, Olympian Way, 51.497372864555764, -0.0013762438591920015
Lighting Diagrams: Fill in Flash
Equipment list: Fill in Flash
2x - Portable Light (an extra in case lighting is bad)
2x - Portable Light Stand (an extra in case lighting is bad)
1x - Profoto A10 Flash Gun
1x - Canon 5d
Test Shoot: Fill in Flash
The Shoot: Fill in Flash
The shoot was disrupted by rain.
Editing: Fill in Flash
I edited these images on Capture One. I quickly used the star method system to decide on my three images. I then reduced contrast, highlights, and some shadow. I increased the clarity slightly. I colour graded the image to make it more blue, by enhancing the blue in the images and creating a blueish tint in the shadows.
I then used layers on Capture One to select individual parts of the images. I edited the brightness and exposure of different parts of the clouds to make them more dramatic and almost a little like a cartoon. I increased the saturation of the sky to make it more blue. I brightened the buildings and the wall the model is sitting.
Outcome: Fill in Flash
Whilst I think these images are ok, I think that out of the 5 different shoots this is the weakest. The shoot was a bit rushed, and the bad weather didn't help that. Maybe I should have re shot it in better weather.
Also I wasn't too sure how I wanted to edit the images I did manage to take. I tried to do something a bit different to what I usually do, and that is probably why it is a rather mixed result in my opinion.
