Shoot 3 - feminine gels contact sheet

Shoot 2 - gel lighting - Work Diary

In this shoot I used the same equipment and layout as before but with a slight change in the positioning of the back gel lighting. Instead here I only used one of the lights due t a technical difficulty and placed it directly behind the subject where it cannot be seen. This caused the outline of the subject to be highlighted and enhanced which allows the subject to stand out very well from the background. I chose to place the light here because the model's hair is quite dark without the light it would blend in with the background and wouldn't be the desired effect I was after. This highlights the formal element of line as the light allows for individual hairs to be seen. I also used a strong intensity of light on the subjects face in order to cause some shadows on the face.

In this photograph I chose for the light that is placed behind the subject to be a red/orange colour. This creates a unique type of chiaroscuro effect. This is an Italian term which translates as light-dark, and refers to the balance and pattern of light and shade in a painting or drawing. The fact the the outline of the subject is red provides connotations of evil or danger. I enhanced this by editing the colour of the subjects eyes to also be a dark tone of red which furthers the impression of evil. The intense eye contact being made creates suspense and mystery. This mystery and sense of evil is enhanced through the shadows on the left side of the subject's face and black background which creates a very dark, gloomy and sinister mood.

Progression:

In order to progress with this technique further I would like to experiment with other coloured gels to see what effect and mood they create. I would also like to use a female model and use very feminine coloured gels such as pinks and purples in order to enhance their femininity. I could also potentially experiment with different coloured backgrounds rather than just black.

Gel lighting shoot 2 straight images.

Shoot 2 - Gel lighting 2 - contact sheet

Computer Experiments

Photographer Research - Chuck Close

Chuck Close

Biography:

Charles Thomas "Chuck" Close (born July 5, 1940) is an American painter and photographer who achieved fame as a photorealist, through his massive-scale portraits. Chuck was diagnosed with prosopagnosia- Sometimes known as “face blindness”, prosopagnosia is a disorder where the ability to recognize faces is impaired. In 1988 a catastrophic spinal artery collapse left him severely paralysed. Close often takes his family and friends as models, making monumental and classical works that are both bold in their simplicity as well as intangible. In Close’s daguerreotype photographs, the background defines the limit of the image plane as well as the outline of the subject, with the inky pitch-black setting off the light, reflective quality of the subject’s face.

Why I chose this photographer:

Chuck's photography is very interesting to me as he focusses on portraiture in black and white. This is very effective in showing the detail in the face of the subject along side with the formal elements of line, form and shape. The absence of colour in his photography is very intriguing to me as I feel that it is very effective in creating a particular mood. The subjects in the photographs tend to appear very serious and emotionless, enhanced by the black and white effect. Also I like his technique of blurring the whole image apart from the face of the subject, which is perhaps related to his visual impairment. The edges of the model's head is blurred which enhances the detail of the eyes, nose, mouth and in some cases hair.

In this portrait a very intense mood is created due to several factors in which Chuck has included. Firstly, the eye contact and facial expression is considerably intense as she looks very tense and straight. Due to the fact that the blurring technique is introduced, the femininity of the subject is enhanced as she looks quite soft through her hair being blurred and the only thing in focus being her face. Despite the fact that there is unflattering light and  considerably dark shadows the blurring still allows her to look beautiful. There is quite a lot of contrast with the tones visible which show the form of the subject due to the slight highlights around the cheeks and nose.

In this photograph, a black background is used alike all of his work in order to allow the subject to stand out. The blurring technique of where the only area in focus in the frame is the centre of the subject's face is used. This enhances the eye contact and connection made with the audience. There making the face the focal and illustrating the importance of the facial expression when unsung this technique in order to convey a particular emotion or mood. This photograph seems rather soft and natural due to the minimal contrast on the subjects face. There are blurred light lines which illustrate the man's hair and the reflection of light which appears to be coming from in front of the subject. The formal element of line can be seen through the hairs in the eyebrows and beard where different tones can be seen. Chuck also uses the technique of shadowing everything other than the face and a part of the neck in order to make the subject stand out further.

Unlike a lot of the Chucks photography this piece appears much lighter than usual through the introduction of white clothing. Chuck normally uses dark clothing which blurs in with the dark background. Here the the white shirt works very well in contributing to the lighter tones seen. Once again the blurring technique enhances the femininity and beauty of female subject. Also the subject is smiling which adds to the overall softness of the piece in relation to the soft light colours with minimal shadows. The black background also allows the subjective to stand out much more. There are slightly darker tones which work well when showing the form and structure of the subjects face. There is a fair bout of contrast in the hair of the subject with main highlights and shadows in order to illustrate the smooth texture through the use of blurring.

This is a self portrait of Chuck Close  where once again his blurring technique is used very well in enhancing the eye contact made with the audience. This is because the only areas in focus are the eyes, nose and mouth of the subject. Due to the very serious facial expression used, a intense mood is created which is very compelling and intriguing as the subject seems emotionless. The formal element of line is very dominant in this photograph through the wrinkles around the forehead which are highlight areas. In contrast to this, dark black lines can be seen to show the outlines of the glasses. The top part of Chuck's beard is in focus and contains both light and dark short lines which present the rough texture of his beard. Once again, it becomes apparent that when photographing male models, chuck shadows out the top half of their body such as their shoulder. This only allows for the subjects head and neck to be seen.

How he has influenced me:

Chuck has influence me to experiment with different blurring techniques, especially his blurring technique. In doing so I have established ways in which to make the focal point of the piece to be the face and therefore allowing the facial expression to be the main contributor to the mood. I have experimented with his blurring technique in order to to enhance the beauty and femininity as he does, shown through the images included below.

Summary:

Overall, I feel that Chuck's blurring technique is very effective in allowing the focal point to be the face of the subject and also is very effective in creating several moods. These include very intense photographs due to the eye contact and black and white filter and also he enhances the femininity of women.

Photographer Research - Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry

Biography:

Steve McCurry is an American editorial photographer best known for his photograph "Afghan Girl" which originally appeared in National Geographic magazine. McCurry took his most recognized portrait, "Afghan Girl", in a refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan. The image itself was named as "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographicmagazine and her face became famous as the cover photograph on the June 1985 issue. He became interested in photography when he started taking pictures for the Penn State newspaper The Daily Collegian. McCurry focuses on the human consequences of war, not only showing what war impresses on the landscape, but rather, on the human face. “Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape, that you could call the human condition.

Why I chose this photographer:

The majority of Steve McCurry's photography revolves heavily around colour and ethnicity as most of his work has been taken in the Indian region through travelling, therefore focussing on the formal element of colour. Also most of his work is portraits, which I would like to experiment with in the future. Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name.

This photograph is a close up of a young girl taken from a high angle where she is looking up directly at the camera. The supplies a sense of innocence and vulnerability. Colour is introduced through the clothing and the eyes of the subject. The head scarf is teal but a rather dull teal, implying a sense of grit and dirt. This is complimented by the blue coloured eyes of the little girl which allow both to stand out from the composition. This is because the rest of the composition is very dull and bleak, the background is dull and dark as it is assumed to be a wall as it is shot on locate alike a lot of Steve's portraits. Also there are shadows towards the bottom of the girls body and also around the girls face caused by her hood. There are also dark lines on the clothing which provides a sense of its texture. This therefore allows the face of the subject to stand out as it much lighter in tone, contrasting with the rest of the composition. There are very soft shadows on her face which exaggerate her youth and femininity.

 This photograph is organised in an landscape orientation which the subject is placed in the centre of the frame. The fact that she is placed here as well as the fact that the background is  dark and blurred allows the woman to be the focal point. There is minimal shadows on the woman's face, causing a very soft glow which enhances her youth and beauty. There are slight shadows which show the form of her cheeks and eyes. The bright blue cloud of her eyes stand out from the rest of the composition and are very effective as she is looking directly at the camera. This is accompanied by the pink colour of her turban as well as the warm glow of her skin in order to show her femininity. The overall colour palette of the subject is very soft, bright and vibrant which contrasts with the dark background.

Similar to the photo above this image is in landscape orientation which is very effective in producing large spaces either side of the model. These large areas is the blurred background which is considerably dark, allowing the model to stand out due to the contrast of colour. Colour is shown through the subjects hair and beard which is yellow/orange. This colour has connotations of illness and weakness which implies the health condition of the man. Due to contrast of tones on the arms of the subject, he appear very skinny and looks frail and old which is also shown through the formal element of line, illustrated through his wrinkles. Once again the subject jus placed in the centre of the composition, acting as the focal point. The model is looking straight int the camera, making very tense eye contact. His facial expression is very emotive and can be considered as a plead for help. He also looks very vulnerable.

This photograph shows the formal elements of colour and texture very effectively. There is a great contrast between the two main colours, there is reds shown through the main subject and turquoise is introduced through the background. The fact the the red is shown through powder applied to the models face also implies texture. The face looks very matte and lines on the wall show the texture of the wall behind the subject which is slightly in focus. The great contrast with the colours used therefore allows the subject to stand out as it is darker than the background. The way the subject is staring tensely at the camera as well as he is red, has connotations of danger perhaps.

How has he inspired me:

Steve has inspiring me to create portraiture but on location rather than in the studio. I would like to attempt to create great depth of field by blurring out the background as he does. Also I would ensure that the background is dull in order to allow the subject to stand out. Steve has influenced me in many ways, including to consider the colour of my background, location portraiture, culture and depth of field. He has inspired me to introduce colour through the clothing, props, makeup and eyes. 

Summary:

Overall I feel the Steve's work is very effective in ensuring that the coloured areas stand out through the use of a dark blurred background. Also he makes very emotional connections which the audience through the models he uses and the eye contact/facial expressions acquired to the subject.