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AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

What are environmental portraits?

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What is environmental portraiture?

An environmental portrait is a portrait taken of a person or people in a situation that they live in and a place that says something about who they are. It is often a place of work, rest or play. Images which are quite natural, yet  a little staged by the subject making eye contact with the camera. They are making a connection with the camera.

Mood Board:

This mood board displays the general sense of what environmental portraiture is. They all follow a general theme by being staged and the subject making eye contact with the camera. There is a sense of place with the people being in their work, there is a sense of connection by the photographer letting us into the life of the person.

Fibonacci Spiral:

While the rule of thirds is the most widely known composition rule, there’s another principal that plays a big role in composing images with that wow factor; the golden ratio. While its basis does lie in math and numbers, the golden ratio is really about what the human eye sees, and composing an image that immediately demands attention.  This photo also follows the Fibonacci spiral, it follows the composition which makes this a very effective and balanced image.

The golden ratio is actually a number. It’s found by taking a line (or sometimes another shape) and dividing it into two parts. When a line or shape is divided into two parts based on the golden ratio, it will be divided in such a way that, if you divided the length of the longest section by the length of the smallest section, it would be equal to the original length of the shape divided by the longest section.

Useful videos about environmental portraiture: 

 

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

Alfred Krupp – Arnold Newman

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Initial Response:

I personally find that the image is over saturated in certain areas, while this adds a sense of drama to the image, i personally find that it leaves the image looking rather tacky. While I dislike the amount of saturation in the photo due to the result looking rather messy, i like the sense of seriousness/drama that it creates. I like the background elements of the photo more than the foreground. While it is more cluttered than the foreground, it has a lot of negative white space which i find balances out the background of he image as a whole. i believe it also addresses the issue of over saturation and i believe that if there was more negative white space in the foreground it would result in an overall more balanced image.

Technical:

It looks as though the image was taken using a small aperture since a lot of the image is in focus. It looks as though a rather long shutter speed was used due to the color depth as well as the fact that it looks as though the photo is taken using a small aperture and so a long shutter speed would be required in order for the photo to be properly exposed. The photo overall looks to be rather warm in color temperature.

Visual:

The photo features some strong colors, particularly some strong oranges as well as accentuating the olive tones in his skin helping to add to the dramatic, evil look of the ex Nazi war criminal.

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Alfred Krupp Photo Analysis

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Emotional Response: 

The first initial response that comes to mind when looking at this image is the serious expression on the face of the man. he is making clear eye contact with the camera which makes a direct connection with the viewer. He is in as sense staring into your soul. The addition of the shadows and darkness even further add to the dramatic theme of the photo. The facial expression on the mans face gives him a very intimidating look. It also makes the viewer feel very uneasy and question the image. What is the man thinking and feeling? Why is he in this environment? The overall dark and saturated tones of the image further allude to this and create a very strong emotional response in the viewer.  It is also a very industrial environment where the image is staged in therefore it further makes the image feel cold and unwelcoming. The man is also wearing a suit which gives him a position of authority and power.

Visual:

Pictured in the image is an elderly Caucasian man, roughly the age of 70, with his two hands intertwined with each other. He is wearing a formal uniform, possibly a suit. He is sitting inside a train facing the camera. Behind him is a window, through which we can see the inside of a train assembly factory.There is a wide field of view in this image with elderly man being in the foreground, the window being in the mid ground and the train assembly line being in the background.  The lines on the ceiling guide your eye into the center of the image where the head of the man is, making it the focal point of the image. Focal length is also used in this image with the face of the man being most  in focus and the background being a lot more blurry. It is a very busy photo with many geometric elements filling the space. The editing of this photo means that it is slightly over saturated with the mans skins glowing an unnatural green. The lights on the top of the ceiling also create a sense of pattern and repetition. The man is sitting in the center of the image meaning that this is what you’re drawn to most making him the first thing that your eyes are drawn to. The most prominent color in this image is the black which gives an overall dark and deep aura to the image. This image is well exposed, with the dark and light being balanced out, yet it is clear that two light sources have been used. Behind the window inside the factory, natural light is coming in through the windows which illuminates the space, yet in front of the window where the man is sitting, an artificial light source has been used so that the mans face can be seen.

Technical:

The exposure in this image is very balanced, with the highlights not being overly prominent or the shadows being too dark. The light coming in from the background is also not overpowering the foreground. The image does not have any motion blur meaning that it is very likely that the camera was propped up on something or a tripod was used. It is also clear that this was used as it is a fairly dark environment, meaning that if there was any movement, it would be very blurred. Behind the tripod was likely an artificial light source which illuminates the face of the man. The facial expression and pose of the man is very clearly unnatural, therefore this image was staged in order to make it as dramatic as possible.

Conceptual:

Krupp, long-faced and bushy-browed, is made to look like Mephistopheles incarnate: smirking, his fingers clasped as he confronts the viewer against the background of a assembly line in the Ruhr. In the color version his face has a greenish cast.

The impression it leaves was no accident: Mr. Newman knew that Krupp had used slave labor in his factories during the Nazi reign and that he had been imprisoned after World War II for his central role in Hitler’s war machine.

Contextual:

Mr. Newman was credited with popularizing a style of photography that became known as environmental portraiture. Working primarily on assignment for magazines, he carried his camera and lighting equipment to his subjects, capturing them in their surroundings and finding in those settings visual elements to evoke their professions and personalities.

The “environmental” approach was what largely distinguished Mr. Newman’s portraits from those of his contemporaries. Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, for example, preferred to work within the bald white arena of their studios.

Rule of thirds:

Arnold Newman has used the rule of thirds in order to create this very successful image. The body of the man is withing the center column of the image therefore this is the first thing the view is drawn to, also due to the fact that he is in the foreground. More importantly his face is located in the very middle of the image, meaning it becomes even more intimidating as he is the focal point.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Arnold Newman – Portrait photography

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Emotional response: Visual: Technical: Conceptual:

Emotional response:  My response to first seeing the photo was that the man in the foreground is quite intimidating and mysterious. There are big differences between light levels, saturation, and contrast within the photo. The man is wearing a suit which shows that he is quite an important person as suits were more expensive than today.

Visual: The man in the middle looks around 75-80 years old, he is lent forward with his hands together (with his fingers intertwined) and is resting his chin on them. The man is less lit than the background which gives a sense of cruelty and mystery about him. He is also in the stereotypical villain pose which makes him more easily associated with being a bad person.

The background also has a lot of contrast, this helps distinguish the trains from the production lines and makes the whole photo more attractive to the eye as it is more colourful.

Technical:  The windows at the top  let in more light into the photo as well as giving it more structure as they consist of strong lines. As they windows get further away they appear smaller which draws the eye into the centre of the photo.

The photo is symetrical through the middle, This balance makes it more attractive as people instinctively prefer symetrical objects/things.

The photo was taken with a shorter exposure. This was probably done to avoid overexposing the background; which is more lit than the foreground. This results in the foreground being darker, which works for this photo as it makes the man look more sinister (which was the intent).

Conceptual: The subject of the photo was Alfred Krupp. He was made to look as sinister as possible in this photo because the photographer (Arnold Newman) was Jewish and Alfred Krupp was a nazi, so this photo was Arnold’s ‘bit of revenge’.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Image Analysis:Environmental Portraits:Arnold Newman

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Image result for arnold newman alfred kruppEmotional

This portrait provides me with a sense of intimidation and lack of authority. Yet I do think it is a very impressive photo with a message behind it. I like the contrast between the dark area at the front and the light area at the back, which adds great amount of depth. although the photo is busy, I can’t get away from the fact that the man (Krupp) is the focal point, his stern looking face is hard to move away from.

Visual

There is a clear foreground and background which are emphasized by the change in light. In the foreground there is a Caucasian man aged around 65, wearing a suit, with his hands joint together and his chins resting on top, he has little to no emotion on his face, the dark areas around his eyes create a demonic silhouette. In the background it’s light which is flooding in via the windows on the ceiling, below there are trains of different colours and sizes. The warehouse behind him seems eerily quiet and dingy, there doesn’t seem to be an areas of interested in terms of beauty.

Technical

Their is a clear leading eye in this photo, from the man your eye is lead by the symmetry of the windows, this also represents pattern and order within the photo, this creates a large depth of field. The exposure is very well down and is correctly balanced between the dark and light areas. In the background Newman has used natural lighting, whereas to highlight Krupp’s face it appears he has used natural lighting this is indicated by the shadowing on some parts and glowing light on other parts of him, his light may have occurred via an office lamp. Krupp’s direct eye contact with the camera has a big impact making it much more personal and its as if hes staring you down creating more and more intimidation.

Conceptual

The photo was taken by Arnold Newman, a Jewish photographer in 1963. Alfred Krupp was hesitant at first to have his photo taken by Newman but he eventually came round to the idea and thus this photo was taken. Krupp in World War II held much power as he took over his fathers company which he then used as a place to assign Jewish prisoners at the time to work there under slave labour to create Nazi weapons. Krupp’s background story is clearly represented in the photo by Newman and the fact that he was Jewish emphasizes his intentions even further. He made Krupp to look like a demonic figure with the lighting, expression and body language to expose the injustice of the Jews and how much evil people in the time of the war exploited them and such horrific factories. As well as that the rule of  thirds also create a sense of structure, which symbolises the the strict regime of the Nazi’s and how they locked up Jews in tight uniform concentration camps similar to how Krupp forced them to work in rows in his factories for hours on end.

 

Unit 2 Portrait

WEEK 2-PORTRAIT ANALYSIS

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ARNOLD NEWMAN 

The image below was taken by Arnold Newman in 1963 and is a very well known image because of the message the image conveys.

Context 

The image was taken in 1963  due to industrialist Alfred Krupp contacted Newman for a portrait image on him. Newman planned to take the images of Krupp and while doing so discovered that Krupp transported materials to assist the Nazi’s during the second world war, and after finding out Newman was Jewish, Krupp refused to see Newman again. However, Krupp was persuaded through Newman’s very impressive portfolio to allow Newman to take the images. Because of the situation where Krupp didn’t want to see Newman anymore because of his religion, Newman used this to his advantage and made Krupp look sinister in the most weird way as revenge for Krupp’s influence in the prosecution of Jews.

 

Emotional response 

When first looking at this image i quickly saw the ‘ old white man’ placed in the center of the photograph which  drew me in due to the shadowing on the mans face due to the light above him. I feel as if the eye contact he gives the camera shows a dark personality and add a sinister feel to the image. I also noticed the lack of bright lights in the image which helped to contrast with the little colour in the image adding a cold and again sinister feel to the time.

I also found that the way the man presented himself with his hands together and sat in a suit suggests that he is a business man and he is of high class.

Visual 

The image is very interesting to the eye due to the very busy background of the image in  contrast to the dark lighting and the subject of the image which is the man. At first i though that the background of the image was just a random set scene. However, after researching about the image and finding out that Krupp helped transport materials for the Nazi’s in WW2 i realized the the place he is in is his underground transportation station. This instantly made me feel unconformable as i questioned why he would want to be photographed in this place and why he was proud of it. This again dded to the sinister feel of the image.

Technical

The first technical aspect of this image i noticed was the use of the texture shown through different objects found within the location of the train station. The texture is shown due to the rust on the objects which also signal that the objects are old and have been used for a long time. The background is also very busy which and there is a lot of movement shown which shows that it is a fully operating station. The depth of field of the image is large and the man being close to the camera instead of within the scenery adds a long depth of field due to us being able to see the whole background. The man also being in sharp focus suggests that he is the subject of the image.

Conceptual Response 

The facial expressions that the man is making suggests that he is up to not good and has something evil planned, the location he is in also suggests that the image is very old however him being in a suit suggests he could be an owner of the location. This image is very up to debate..

 

 

 

 

 

 

AO2 Explore Ideas, Homework, Unit 2 Portrait

12. Claude Cahun X Clare Rae:

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Claude Cahun:

Claude Cahun was a lesbian , Jewish-French Photographer. She was born on October 25th 1894 and moved to Jersey in 1937.

Cahun is best known for her part in the surrealism movement. She worked with self-portraits, which often displayed her in various poses and places with her face, more often than not, covered up.

With her work, Cahun was very political and aimed to use her photos as a way express herself during a time when lesbians and the Jewish were prosecuted for who they were.

Clare Rae:

Clare Rae is an Australian photographer who recently took residence in Jersey for a short time. She wanted to study, take inspiration from, and respond to the work of Claude Cahun.

CCA gallery visit:

On Friday 14th September, my photography class visited an exhibition at the CCA gallery in St. Helier to look at the work of Claude Cahun and Clare Rae’s response and interpretation of her work.

I thought that the exhibition was really well layed out and it was easy to know which photographer’s work I was looking at as the two were  nicely separated without making them look like separate exhibitions.

By looking at the photos in the exhibition is it easy to see where Claude Cahun has influenced Clare Rae’s work. I noticed that Rae wasn’t wearing any foot wear in her photos and upon further inspection, I noticed the same thing in Cahun’s photos. Another similarity between the different photographers is that they are both taken in similar places. Interesting structures and ares of nature are both common to each pieces of work. Both photographers use their surroundings to give a certain feel to the photos that is often calming, chaotic or miserable.

This image by Claude Cahun was one of my favorites. The image shows Cahun hiding behind a large rock with her arms sticking out through the holes in the object. To me, this shows that Cahun is, in a way, apart of the object. However, the stretched out actions of her hands suggests that Cahun is trying to reach out and escape. This could be a reference to the German Occupation of Jersey as that was similarly something that Cahun was apart of, but wanted to be free of.

This photo by Clare Rae has a very similar style to Cahun’s work as the image shows Rae with her back to the camera and her face hidden, which is a common occurrence in Cahun’s work. The dark walls of the cave give a feeling a being trapped and isolated. This was likely how Cahun felt during the Occupation due to being a Jewish lesbian. It is clear that Rae has tried to recreate this in this image.

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Portrait of Alfred Krupp Analysis

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Emotional Response:
  • Dark and sinister feel to the photo.
  • Background feels cathedral-like.
  • Character wears suit so has an authoritative feel, like he's above the workers.
 Technical:
  • Wide angle lens.
  • Uses camera to capture image.
  • Symmetrical.
  • Strong Perspective.
Visual:
  • White, old male.
  • Smug looking male.
  • Dominant character.
  • Maintaining strong eye contact with the camera.
  • Cathedral-like background.
  • Not very colorful/vibrant.
Concept:
  • The image was Arnold's way of revenge on Krupp. Krupp used slave labour in his factory and assisted and supported the nazi's.
  • Newman was a jew and by making Krupp look as emil as possible was his way of revenge.
Context:
  • Arnold Newman was a Jewish photographer. He was approached initially by Krupp to take his photos but when Krupp found out Newman was a jew, he was rejected because of his nazi supporting views. However, Newman insisted Krupp that he looks at his portfolio, which lead to Krupp then agreeing to have Newman take his photo.
  • Alfred Krupp was an industrialist. He was accused of using slave labour for his Nazi war ethic.
Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental Portraits – Homework 1

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Environmental Portraits

An environmental portrait is a portrait taken of a person or people in a situation that they live in and a place that says something about who they are. It is often a place of work, rest or play.

Here are some examples of environmental portraits:

To take these portraits I decided to go into town and try to photograph people in their workplace or natural environment. I wanted to have a wide angle so I could get their environment in the frame, also having eye contact was important for me because this shows that the person is engaged in the photo you’re taking.

Firstly, I went into the local  market as it is quite a traditional place in Jersey and the vendors have been there for a long time. I spotted an old man selling fruit and vegetables, I thought he looked interesting. I asked him if I could take some photos and he agreed, although I did ask him to look in the lens I don’t think he was entirely comfortable with it. So I only took a couple shots and almost all were with no eye contact.

 

Next I went to visit my mum at work and take photos of her. At first the photos weren’t turning out very well because the lighting was very yellow toned and harsh, then I opened the blinds and turned off the lights and it improved instantly. I wanted the photos to be  neutral and not that posed. However this didn’t work very well as my mum wouldn’t stop smiling.

This is a small gallery of the photos I took of my Mum.

These turned out the best in my opinion:

 

AO2 Explore Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Environmental portrait photography 2

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Arnold Newman Biography:

  • Newman was noted for the portrait photography of politicians and Artists. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images.
  • Born in New York City on 3 March 1918, he grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
  • In 1936, he studied painting and drawing at the University of Miami. Unable to afford continuing after two years, he moved to Philadelphia to work for a studio, making 49-cent portraits in 1938.
  • In 1945, Newman opened his own portrait studio in Miami after three years earlier looking after this other studio.
  • in 1946 Newman relocated to New York and opened up his own studio called ” Arnold Newman Studios” and from then on he worked as a freelanced photographer for magazines such as  Fortune, Life, and Newsweek.
  • he focused on photographing personalities of different people. He managed to maintain this even though some were lost or unknown, the photographs had to still be exciting and interest the viewer.
  • he was often credited for being the first environmental portrait photographer. Newman captured his photos in familiar using visuals and representations to show their profession and personalty.
  • Arnold Newman told a magazine in an interview  “The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph. Just to simply do a portrait of a famous person doesn’t mean a thing.”
  • Newman’s most famous photographs were in black and white even though he photographed in colour. His 1946 black and white portrait of Igor Stravinsky seated at a grand piano became his signature image.
  • After this Newman taught  photography at Cooper Union for many years.
  • Newman died on the 6th June 2006 in New York City, New York after recovering from a stroke.

Images:

 

Arnold Newman

This is my favourite image by Arnold Newman as it is very simple and i like how the light has been reflected in the back so that it hits the seats , also he has got the person to do a emotionless face so that it makes us feel nothing, also as it is in black and white this then makes the image more sinister than before as usually the dark makes us feel that bad is going to happen whereas a the picture was in colour then you would think that it was happy mood. I think that he didn’t use flash and that instead he used a alternative light source.

Here is some of my examples of environmental portraits:

I found when I took these photos that they didn’t come out the way I wanted, for example It looks like i have done a double exposure, I didn’t want this, the problem with this is because the shutter speed was too slow meaning that it din’t capture the picture in detail.

For these picture I found that They came out more clearly than my other attempts. However I found after that one image was slightly over exposure while the other one was under exposed, to solve this problem I increased the exposure on the under exposed image to get a little more light and I have increased the colour intensity. This is my outcome: