Arnold Newman was an American photographer who was noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images.
Examples of Arnold’s work found on Google
Analysis of one of Arnolds pieces
I really like this image as it shows a real sense of depth throughout this image, the shadows help create depth as it helps show the distance of the arches on the left hand side of the image. This black and white environmental portrait conveys a number of stories around the scientist on the right hand side of the image. The soft natural lighting from the sun creates a more dramatic but also natural looking image. Furthermore, the position of the light source creates a shadow on the side of the mans face which helps increase the dramatic atmosphere. In this photograph a high contrast is used in this black and white image which allows the man to stand out more in his white lab coat. The contrast comes from the the black shadows on the left side of the image and then the grey walls and the white lab coat on the right side of the image. This influences the viewer to see the photograph in more detail.
My responses
Contact sheets
How I edited my images in the style of Arnold Newman’s work
Original image
Firstly, I changed the brightness and contrast so I could enhance the colours within the photograph.
Once I was happy with the brightness and contrast, I then changed the photograph into black and white where I also altered the colours again.
I then used the levels adjustment to enhance the black and white even more until I was eventually happy with it.
This was my final image.
This was my favorite image from my shoot and out of my selected edits as it was the most direct image out of the shoot as the character in the image was looking at the camera whereas in the other images the characters in the photographs weren’t looking at the camera.
August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer. Sander’s first book Face of our Time was published in 1929. Sander has been described as “the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century.
Photo analysis of one of August Sanders pieces
This black and white environmental portrait of three German boys in suit’s strongly reflects there social class clearly and also creates a story as to who they are. This image was clearly before or well after the first world war as the three boys would be wearing another suit as this picture was taken round the same time. There is a strong contrast in this image, coming from the grey sky and the boys black suits. The use of the contrast really helps the three boys stand out in the picture. The dull natural lighting lights up the boys faces also helping them to stand out and also sharpening their features.
Michelle Sank was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She left there in 1978 and has been living in England since 1987. Her images reflect a preoccupation with the human condition and to this end can be viewed as social documentary. Her work encompasses issues around social and cultural diversity.
Photo analysis of one of Michelle’s pieces
This coloured environmental portrait is of a girl sitting down rolling a cigarette. The girl in this image is positioned on the right hand side of the image which applies to the rule of thirds as she is following the right vertical line. A fast shutter speed was used to capture the vibrant colours from the sky and the multi coloured boxes in the background. A hard light and a high iso has been used as all the colours within this image have been made brighter and bolder and make this image look brighter.
An environmental portraiture is a portrait executed in the subject’s daily life or environment. For example a subjects home or workplace. This illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings which is usually unknown or unseen.
Both of these examples below which where found on Google show the subjects in their natural workplaces/ environment. The first image is clearly a formal image as it has clearly been set up whereas, the second image is informal as it shows the man working and doesn’t look set up like the first image does. The surroundings and backgrounds in environmental portraits is a key focus as it is used to convey a story within in an image about the person being photographed.
When choosing my final images I had a lot of images to chose from that I was happy with and wanted to use but as I had so many I wasn’t sure as to which one to use. When I came to my final decision I couldn’t pick the one photo so I ended up picking multiple images from different homework’s. I liked these images the most as they were the images that related to the artist the most and the ones that I personally though came out the best out of any of the others. These photos also show my camera skills and also my Photoshop skills.
Minimalism is a style used by many 20th Century artists, using a minimum amount of components such as colour, shape, line and texture. Within the art world it is considered an very subjective concept, leaving interpretation and meaning up to the viewers perception of the work.
Examples of minimalism photography
Julian Schulze
Schulze describes himself as “focused on geometric abstraction and minimalist compositions.” His images varey from simple shots of everyday scenes made up of just one or two things to photos where you have to look twice and that will leave you wondering which way is up. Each shot is composed, using light, shadow, and colour to create a 2D picture out of a 3D scene.
Examples of Julian’s work
Analysing Julian’s work
This image is of multiple coloured buildings. The three separate buildings create a sense of depth as it creates layers to the image. However, the bold colours from each building and the way the photo is present on an angle confuses the view as it really makes the viewer think as to which way the buildings are meant to be and which one is at the front. This image effectively exemplifies colour within Julian’s minimalistic work. For example, his use of colour and tone is particularly successful, the orange, red and white all compliment eachother while contrasting with the grey on the windows, this makes me think that Schulze wants the audience to perceive these subjects as three different components of the image.
Texture photography is one way of drawing the viewer’s attention into the image. When used properly, the effect of the texture of the elements in the image can become as commanding as the use of pronounced colours and dramatic scenery.
Frank Hallam Day
Frank is a fine art photographer in Washington. He taught photography at the Smithsonian Institution in local programs. His work is in numbers of museums and private collections in the States and abroad. Frank is a flexible artist shooting in both black and white and color film who travels the world to remote destinations. He is able to capture the rich beauty of pattern, color and texture of everyday lives of diverse cultures.
These are examples of his work.
Photo Analysis
This photo is of the inside of phone box. Frank has been able to make a dull, boring thing a really interesting photography. I think this photograph would have been taken with a slow shutter speed in order to capture the high light and the bold colours which are seen on the phone box and everything around it. Furthermore, I think the brightness and the sharp colours in this photo are taken using a high iso as they are captured really well and very strongly. The rule of thirds has been used in this photograph, with the phone box itself being placed just left from the center and it being the main focal point of this image. The use of the rule of thirds draws the human eye to this point and makes the viewer know that it is the main subject of the photo. This photo is saturated greatly as it uses vibrant colours to intrigue the viewer. The use of different types of lighting makes the colours brighter. The use of reflection on the glass of the phone box creates a feeling of confusion, creating a real mood and story to the photograph.
Typology is the study of types, and a photographic typology in a set of images or related forms, shot in a consistent, repetitive way.
Bernd and Hilla Becher
The couple where conceptual artists and photographer who worked together. They were best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures, often organised in grids.
Each series of images are capturing typologies, types of things. Each image is taken from the same perspective, angle and distance from the subject, this is an essential reason for why the series’ are so effective. All the images in each series have something in common which links them together, for example the images below the darkest part of the image is always in the middle of the building.
The rule of thirds is applied by making sure the subject in the photo is inline with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line. The rule of thirds is used to create a visually pleasing image which makes it easier to understand. The rule of thirds is the basic method used to help the compositions of photos. It can be used by using a visual of tow lines formatted at each angle on the screen or possibly within dots for slight distance as to where to place the main subject of the image.
This photography clearly follows the rule of thirds as the subject of the photograph or the main focus is on the top right intersecting line which makes this photo more visually pleasing. furthermore, the top horizontal line is in line with the horizon in this picture also making it visually pleasing and easier on the eye for the viewer.
Bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the none focused parts of an image. Bokeh has been defined as “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light”.
How can you achieve Bokeh Photography?
To take a photograph in the style of bokeh you will have to Set your camera to the Aperture mode. Once you have changed the setting select the smallest aperture number for your lens. Making sure your camera is set to manual focus so you can manually adjust the focus, making sure the whole image is completely out of focus. Zooming in and out to wherever you think best suits the photograph.
This black and white environmental portrait of three German boys in suit’s strongly reflects there social class clearly and also creates a story as to who they are. This image was clearly before or well after the first world war as the three boys would be wearing another suit as this picture was taken round the same time. There is a strong contrast in this image, coming from the grey sky and the boys black suits. The use of the contrast really helps the three boys stand out in the picture. The dull natural lighting lights up the boys faces also helping them to stand out and also sharpening their features.
Photo analysis of one of Michelle’s pieces
