Photography 1: P & P, Proj 2 - Thinking About Location

Project 2: Thinking about location.

For this project I played the role of location hunter.  I sought out 6 different settings or backgrounds that could be used effectively for either a whole body or torso portrait.  I took into account the space available for positioning the camera using a longish focal length lens and the lighting.  I looked for tonal and textural simplicity from edge to edge.  I took reference photos of each of the locations without people.  Finally, I chose one of the locations and returned with a portrait subject and photographed them.  The images are shown below:

5763.jpg; F11; 1/350s

5767.jpg; F11; 1/125s

5773.jpg; F11; 1/180s

5776.jpg; F11; 1/350s

5780.jpg; F11; 1/90s

5788.jpg; F13; 1/60s

Below is the final portrait of the subject at the chosen location:

5764.jpg; F11; F1/350s

What have I learned from this project?

It is important when travelling around with a camera to keep an eye open for suitable portrait locations.  When a suitable location is identified a reference photo should be taken and a note made of the location.

Photography 1: P & P, Proj 1 - Portrait, Scale & Setting

Project 1: Portrait, scale and setting.

For this project the objective was to find an interesting and attractive setting.  In the chosen setting I took a series of portraits of a subject.  The first portrait was taken of the subject's face, cropped in close.  The second was of the subject's head and shoulders.  The third was of the torso, taking into account arms and hands.  The final was of the full figure, head to toe.  The resulting images are shown below:

5793.jpg; F13; 1/250s

In this close-up shot of the subject the sun is quite bright and this has caused the eyes to be slightly obscured.  It would be better if the portrait had been taken in more subdued lighting so that the eyes would be more relaxed and more visible.  The photograph was taken using a long focal length lens, (about 90mm) in order to flatten the subject's features.

5794.jpg; F13; 1/250s

This portrait of the head and shoulders of the subject reveals more of the background.  The background is quite plain and therefore does not overwhelm the photograph.  The subject's clothing, such as the scarf are more noticeable in this portrait.

5764.jpg; F11; 1/350s

This portrait of the torso of the subject includes more of the background.  I chose a plain stone wall and distant sea scape as the background because they have little detail to distract the viewer's eye.  I asked the subject to fold their hands together so that they did not catch the viewer's eye.

5854.jpg; F9.5; 1/45s

For this portrait of the full figure of the subject I chose to have the subject seated.  This pose has put more emphasis on the upper part of the body.  The face remains the main focus of the portrait.  The hands are folded as before so they do not catch the viewer's eye.

What have I learned from this project?

When creating a portrait it is best to use subdued lighting where possible so that the eyes can be given more prominence.

Take care to choose a plain background for the composition so that the viewer's eye remains focussed on the subject.

Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Rain

Project: Illustration
Exercise: Rain

In this exercise, the object was to create a photograph that would be suitable for the cover of a magazine on the subject of rain.  The brief was to produce a strong image that would leave no one in doubt about the subject.

5707.jpg; F4; 1/90s

For this photograph I chose to illustrate rain as it was illuminated by a car's headlamps at dusk.  I chose to use a relatively fast shutter speed so that the individual raindrops were differentiated but still gave a feeling of movement.  I have tried to make the photograph attractive through the use of bold colours and the yellow light of the car's headlights.  I chose to take the photograph at dusk so that there would be sufficient light around to show the car as well as the lights.

What have I learned from this exercise?

When producing an image to portray one subject, you should produce a strong, attractive photograph that leaves no one in doubt about the subject.

- think of all situations of the subject that you have ever seen.

- keep it simple.

- be interesting; don't settle for an ordinary shot.

- if you can't be completely original, at least make the photograph attractive.

- even if your idea is original, still make the photograph attractive.

Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Juxtaposition

Project: Illustration
Exercise: Juxtaposition

5700.jpg; F22; 1/15s

In this photograph an artist is shown surrounded by the her work.  The artist works in kiln-formed glass to create her objects.  The line of objects to the right of the photograph lead the eye to the artist and provide a link between them.

What have I learned from this exercise?

Putting together two elements so as to suggest a relationship is the mainstay of illustration.  One or both of them can be symbols, but even this is not necessary.  The important thing is to suggest a connection.  One of the easiest ways of doing this is simply to place manageable objects together, in a still-life shot of one kind or another.  Still-life photography has the considerable advantage of being controllable, and possible to do, whatever the weather and lighting outside.  This is one reason why so much still-life photography is used in advertising, on book covers and in magazines.

Another way of combining images is to find a viewpoint, together with an appropriate focal length of lens, that shows the two elements together.

Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Evidence of Action

Project: Illustration
Exercise: Evidence of action.

5689.jpg; F22; 1/45s

This photograph shows the aftermath of some sort of dramatic incident.  The remains of an afternoon tea party are depicted.  Something catastrophic has occurred resulting in chairs being overturned, crockery broken and tea spilt.

What have I learned from this exercise?

Where illustration really comes into its own is in dealing with subjects that are not straightforward solid objects or obvious events.  Abstract ideas and concepts usually need an imaginative treatment in order to be put across in a single photograph.

One example from the commercial world is insurance.  Insurance companies have to face this problem whenever they want to make a simple image to show what they offer.  Most images used have to do with protection, which is what insurers offer, and include shields, umbrellas, fortifications (like castles), and cupped hands.

All of them are visual analogies, symbols for protection.  Symbolism is one of the main techniques in illustration; if you choose an appropriate symbol, it can solve the problem of showing an abstract idea at a stroke.

Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Outdoors at Night

Project: Available light.
Exercise: Outdoors at night.

For this exercise I took pictures to explore the variety of lighting effects and colour in artificial light.  When taking exterior pictures at night that include the sky, I ensured that the sky was not completely black.  Dusk was the best time, when there was just a hint of light in the sky, and the building appeared more clearly.

The photographs taken are shown below:

5675.jpg; F11; 3s; Daylight WB

5676.jpg; F11; 3s; Tungsten WB

The two photographs above were taken at dusk from outside a brightly lit house.  The first photograph was taken using a white balance setting of daylight.  For the second,  the white balance was set to tungsten.  The tungsten white balance setting gives an attractive blue cast to the night sky.  In order to achieve a bold blue colour, there must still be some brightness in the sky.

1936.jpg; F2.8; 1/50s

This image was taken from a poorly lit underground car park into the entrance of a Chinese supermarket.  The colours are predominantly yellow.  The light is provided by relatively harsh fluorescent lights.

1939.jpg; F2.8; 1/80s

This photograph was taken in a busy, brightly lit Chinese supermarket.  The overall yellow colour of the image is mainly due to the bright yellow coloured floor.  This colour is reflected onto the ceiling by the bright lighting.  There is some relief from the yellow colour from the red items and clothing of the people within the store.

Auckland at Night; F27; 3s

The photograph above of the Auckland skyline was taken just as the light from the sky was beginning to fade.  Some light remained in the sky and this has helped to show the outlines of the buildings more clearly.

Candle Lamps; F22; 2.5s

The photograph above was taken outside at night.  The only light available was from the candles.  The candles provide a warm yellow light.

1940.jpg; F4.8; 1/5s

The photograph above is of a floodlit pub.  The photograph was taken hand held and this has resulted in a slightly blurred image.

1941.jpg; F2.8; 1/10s

This image is of a floodlit hotel.  The cars parked in front of the hotel helped to hide the floodlights.

1943.jpg; F2.8; 1/8s

1946.jpg; F2.8; 1/4s

The two photographs above were taken at Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire.  The building is now an upmarket hotel.  The hotel owners have lit each of the majestic buildings with warm white lighting.  This lighting gives a more inviting feel to the buildings.

1949.jpg;F2.8; 1/8s

This church in Harpenden is floodlit with a yellow light.  This form of lighting, although possibly cheaper to run gives a harsh colour to the building.

1952.jpg; F2.8; 1/40s

This Chinese restaurant has been floodlit with sophisticated white light.

5677.jpg; F22; 6s

5681.jpg; F22; 8s

5679.jpg; F22; 8s

The three photographs above were taken from a flyover above the M1 in Bedfordshire.  The lights of the cars and slow shutter speed have produced interesting effects in the images.  In the third image, (5679)  the lines of light have a zigzag effect.  This was due to a car passing over the bridge I was on during the exposure.  I have included it due to its interesting effect.

What have I learned from this exercise?

The variety of colours present at night are many.  Many buildings look more impressive when floodlit at night.  The choice of floodlight colour is important to achieve a desirable effect.

Shops and internal spaces are often more dramatic when brightly lit and viewed from the dark street outside.

When photographing a brightly lit interior of a building, setting the white balance to tungsten gives an attractive blue cast to the night sky.  In order to achieve a bold blue colour, there must still be some brightness in the sky.

Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Symbols

Project: Illustration
Exercise: Symbols

The idea of this exercise was to find symbols for a number of concepts.  Below I have suggested symbols for each concept, and added a short note for each explaining how I might use them in a photograph.


Growth  A seed or seeds starting to grow.  Although this is quite a cliché a photograph could show an acorn starting to grow with a shoot and small leaves visible.  Also plant shoots appearing through soil in spring time would symbolise growth.

Child outgrowing clothes.  A person bursting out of too small clothes could be used as a symbol of growth.

Excess  Cup running over.  Liquid poured into a cup or glass, and beginning to overflow would be a strong symbol of excess in a photograph.

Overeating.  A photograph of a person eating an excessively large sandwich would symbolise excess.

Drunken reveller lying in the street.  A person clearly drunk, lying in the street would suggest excess.

Crime  Broken window with a hand reaching in.  A photograph of a broken window in a door, with a person's hand reaching in to steal something would be symbolic of crime.

A police officer handcuffing a prisoner would symbolise that a crime may well have been committed.

Silence  Silent forest.  An image of a misty forest would suggest silence.

A still, snowy scene would impart a feeling of silence.

Silence could be symbolised in a photograph by having a person using sign language toward to viewer.

Poverty  Down and out begging.  A photograph of a down and out or tramp begging on the street would symbolise poverty.

Hungry children.  Children shown looking thin a staring at an empty plate would imply poverty.

Coins in a hand.  A few, low value coins held in a dirty hand would give the impression of poverty.

What have I learned from this exercise?

In order to symbolise a particular concept in a photograph without being either too clichéd or too obscure is quite difficult.  In order to work, the symbol must be recognisable.  The best way to come up with an original photograph is to research the subject thoroughly and too think laterally.