Mindmap Of The Key Areas Of Identity

Why do we use studio lighting?

Studio lighting offers a more sophisticated level of control. You can adjust the light in numerous ways to produce infinite outcomes.

What is the difference between 1-2-3 point lighting and what does each technique provide>

The numbers refer to the amount of light sources at the scene of the shoot. Photographs taken with only 1 light will be a lot darker and ominous than the other. Images with 1 light tend to show only half of the subject’s face; this is because the intensity of the shadows allows the part of the face that isn’t illuminated to blend in with the darkness. 2 point lighting, however, is brighter than 1 and this allows the shadows to be a lot softer and more of the face to be revealed. 3 point lighting is much brighter than the other two, the subject is fully illuminated and shadows are not visible; the point of this is to erase any creases and create a whiter canvas.

What is fill lighting?/ What is Spill Lighting?

It is any source of illumination that lightens (fills in) areas of shadow created by other lights. Most often,fill light is used to lighten the shadows created by the main light. Spill light, however,  is the light that illuminates surfaces beyond the property line. An example would be the light on a bedroom wall coming through the window.

What is Chiaroscuro ?

 it is an Italian artistic term used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in an artwork, particularly paintings. It comes from the combination of the Italian words for “light” and “dark.” It also applies to a far wider array of dramatic lighting effects, particularly in movies; anything dark and moody with great slashes of shadow.

The images above portray chiaroscuro and showcase its main aspects. The lighting used is classed as ‘lowkey’ meaning that most images are creates in a ‘low’ light environment.

Source

Magnum Photos

After the second world war, the world’s most prestigious photographic agency was formed by four photographers : Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David “Chim” Seymour. They had been scarred by the conflict and were motivated both by a sense of relief that the world had somehow survived and the curiosity to see what was still there.

It was important for Magnum’s photographers to have this flexibility to choose many of their own stories. None of them wanted to suffer the dictates of a single publication and its editorial staff.

source – here

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France. He was a pioneer in photojournalism; he wandered around the world with his camera, becoming totally immersed in his current environment.

To enhance his capacity to take the kind of candid shots he preferred, Cartier-Bresson often wrapped his Leica camera in black tape to make it less obtrusive.

Cartier-Bresson co-founded The Magnum Photo agency (a cooperation owned by its members) that connected the photographers with clients around the world. The agency’s mission was to widely disseminate photographs that were in one way or another exemplary of the modern era and also inherently humanitarian. Examples of his images below.

Source – here

Image Analysis

Technical

The image was taken in natural daylight – this is implied by the fact the photo was shot outside. The photo is black and white so it’s impossible to determine the original white balance, however, what can be determined is the level of contrast; the photo was taken in 1933 (before the invention of Photoshop and such tools) so it’s unlikely that the photographer tampered with the contrast in the post photo shoot stage. When applying Ansel Adam’s zone system to determine the tonal range, this image lacks the darkest black but successfully portrays the rest of the tonal range. The photo has a high exposure due to the large presence of white and since most of the image is in focus, it can be presumed that the photo was taken at a low shutter speed.

Visual

Although the image is black and white it still offers much visual stimulation for the viewers. The hole in the wall acts like a frame and it’s almost as if the children are climbing out of it – this gives the image a 3D element. Many of the subjects are looking directly at the camera, hence looking directly at the audience, their gazes give the viewers an uncomfortable and guilty feeling. The set up is rather ominous to begin with, due to the cropping it’s hard to tell where and what exactly the children are playing in. It could be the remains of a building or factory but it could equally be a street with multiple houses. The image is very bright, and the photographer,  Henri Cartier-Bresson, positioned himself directly in the center – this allows our eyes to follow the path and peak into the everyday lives of these people.

Contextual

Cartier-Bresson captured this image during his three-month journey around Spain in 1933 during that time the first anarchist protest came on 8 December and was easily crushed by force in most of Spain. The Spanish Republican Army employed tanks and stopped multiple uprisings.

Conceptual

*Read Additional Information first* The kids playing amongst the rubble are totally unaware of the war happening around them this shows that they aren’t moved by their situation and can still find ways to enjoy themselves. The image successfully portrays that ignorance is bliss (not knowing something or not acknowledging it is more comfortable than facing it). The fact that they change and hide their play when an adult/outsider arrives showcases not only how adults have tampered (and ultimately destroyed) their world but also how much they fear that it will happen again.

Additional Information

While researching for the contextual part of the analysis, I came across another image from the shoot, taken directly before the image I analyzed (according to  Henri Cartier-Bresson’s published contact sheet from this shoot).

The children in this photo look a lot happier, their faces show pure ecstasy as they enjoy their youthful days. Their expressions change when they notice the presence of  Henri Cartier-Bresson, in the next image they all look bleak, as if caught, this would explain their cold expressions in the next image.

Street Photography

Street photography is about documenting everyday life and society. Street photography doesn’t necessarily need to be shot in the street; you can shoot at the airport, at the mall, at the beach, at the park, in the bus or subway, in the doctor’s office, in the grocery store, or in any other public places.

Street photography is candid photography of life and human nature. It is a way for us to show our surroundings, and how we as photographers relate to them. We are filtering what we see, to find the moments that intrigue us, and to then share them with others. It’s like daydreaming with a camera.

source – here

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2013/08/07/what-is-street-photography-2/

Case Study

Quick Biography

Arnold Newman is often considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century.  His career centered around portraits (as he photographed everyone from businessmen to celebrities to politicians and even presidents).

He was one of the earliest photographers to master the “environmental portrait”. The concept of the environmental portrait was to incorporate all of the objects on the photographic canvas to support the subject including backgrounds and graphic design elements.

source – here

Photo Analysis

Technical

The most striking technical aspect of this image is the photographer’s use of lighting to create a sinister and intimidating atmosphere. Although there doesn’t seem to be any flash used and the lighting was most likely the natural daylight that occupied the factory.  Arnold Newman purposely showcased the background by keeping everything in focus to portray this person’s environment. There is a vast tonal range in this image, ranging from the darkest black to the brightest white.  The shutter speed seems to be on the higher side (F16) since the foreground and midground are sharply in focus and the background is slowly blurring out- but still in focus enough that we can see what’s happening.  The white balance of this image would be around 6500K (cloudy) since the image brings out the warmer tones that dominate the cooler ones.

Visual

Visually this image is extremely interesting; our eyes have many points to focus on while exploring the photograph. The foreground is rather dark and the subject is fully in focus- however, as we travel further back the background begins to blur softly. The image contains multiple line patterns; the columns and ceiling portray perfect lines of symmetry. Natural framing is also a rather large aspect of this photo, the aged, graffitied and worn columns also help show what kind of place this image is set in. Furthermore, the ceiling (which looks similar to train tracks) draws the viewer’s eyes to the centre of the image- since they follow the path and direction of the lines.

Contextual

The subject in this photo, Alfred Krupp used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis during the Second World War. Upon finding out that the photographer (Arnold Newman) was jew, Krupp refused to have his portrait taken by him.  After looking at his portfolio though, he agreed to have the photo taken by him. Arnold Newman then did his best to portray the man in the evilest manner he had said that  “As a Jew, it was my own little moment of revenge.”

Conceptual

The concept behind the photo was to make Alfred Krupp look as inhumane and bad as the actions that he took. Arnold Newman wanted to expose the true nature of the subject to the world as ‘revenge’ for the things he did/things he supported in the wars.

Source – here

My Photography-In The Style Of Arnold Newman