Hunter is a British photographer who’s tableaux photography work has gained attention from the public and other photographers, due to it’s metaphorical symbolism and the meanings behind them.
Hunters tableaux work reflects his opinion on how certain groups within society are cast out, and treated as lesser beings due to their personal life choices, or events that they have little control over altogether. Hunter’s work has heavily influenced the people that he depicts in his photographs, for example his photograph Woman Reading a Possession Order (1997), was taken in response to Tom’s squatting neighbors receiving eviction notices. The photograph sparked a debate in the local council, and the houses were not destroyed.
Hunters work often focuses on the lives of those struggling with housing issues, such as squatters, caravan-dwellers and council housing tenants. Hunter sympathizes with this community of people due to his own life experiences, and portrays their struggles and hardships through his work.
The following images are examples of Hunter’s work:
The below image is one of Hunters most popular; it takes inspiration from the artist Jan Vermeer, and incorporates a modern story into it:
The above image has taken inspiration from artist Jan Vermeer’s “Girl Reading a Letter”. This is a clear example of Hunter creating a tableaux image, as he has taken inspiration for the pose and setting of his photograph from a different artist, but has changed the meaning to one that better reflects the issues that are meaningful to him, and relevant for the time. ‘It’s inspired by Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter – except she’s a squatter reading a possession order’ – Tom Hunter regarding his photograph.Hunter voices that he is especially inspired by painters, more specifically artists such as Caravaggio and Vermeer. Hunter often uses the work of these artists to influence his tableaux photography.
Many of Hunters images make use of ordinary people as subjects, where the viewer is placed in a position where they are looking into the private lives of the subject. This gives the viewer a sense of familiarity, where they are able to relate to the subject, yet projects such as “Person’s Unknown” are titled to contradict this sense of familiarity by giving no identity to the subjects. This contradiction allows for Hunter to emphasize his opinions on matters such as evictions and the casting out of certain groups from society, as it shows that the people dealing with these issues are just regular people, and live normal and relatable lives.
Here is one of the possession order that Tom Hunter and his neighbors received while squatting. It is one of the things that drove him to produce the “Persons Unknown” Photography project, in which he depicted members of his community in dignified and relatable situations and positions to create a sense of familiarity for his viewers.
Hunter has been able to incorporate his own life experiences into his work, allowing for a more personal touch to be added to his images, and uses his work as a way to advocate for social groups who are often cast out of society.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper discussing his photograph, “Woman Reading A Possession Order”, Hunter was quotes as saying, “I phoned her up last week and she’s still happy with the picture. It’s a record of her, her child and her home at the time. The great thing is, the picture got a dialogue going with the council – and we managed to save the houses.”
“Tableaux vivant” is french for “Living pictures”, and refers to a static scene containing 1 or more actors. The scene would depict a still frame of an event or incident, where the actors are posed to look as if they are mid way through carrying out an action. The scenes can often be referred to as theatrical, as they include costumes, props and theatrical lighting. The actors in the scene are often posed so that they seem completely unaware of the viewer, and are not aware that they are being photographed. This adds to the natural aspect of tableaux vivants.
Below are some professional examples of where tableaux vivant has been used in photography:
Here is an example of an image taken during the 20th century, where tableaux vivant was developing into a popular form of photography.Biblical scenes are often popular events for photographers to mimic using tableaux vivant, as they often portray dramatic and eye-catching events that draw the attention of the viewer.Photographer – Jenny Boot, 2015 — Tableaux vivant photographs are often manipulated after they are taken in order to make them mimic the scene they are depicting even more closely. Editing the images can often enhance the image, and make it seem like it is a genuine still image from the original scene.
Modern Tableaux vivant photographers tend to take heavy inspiration from past artists, recreating well known paintings and images using modern actors and a camera. This is an effective style of photography, as it allows for the original image, and the modern version to be compared and contrasted. The below images are examples of photographs that have used tableaux vivant to recreate well known paintings and images, while incorporating their own style:
Tom Hunter – “Woman Reading a Possession Order” – (1997)Johannes Vermeer – “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” – (1657–1659)
The above image is a painting by the artist, Johannes Vermeer, depicting a woman reading a letter by an open window. Modern photographer Tom Hunter took inspiration from this work, and developed the photograph above it using tableaux vivant.
David Lachapelle – “Last Supper” – (2003)Leonardo da Vinci – “The Last Supper” – (1498)
The above images are examples of how photographers can take very well known pieces art, and use tableaux vivant to recreate the image, while also adding a modern twist. Photographer David Lachapelle took inspiration from Da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper”, and replaced the disciples with characters resembling people living in a modern neighborhood.
Tableaux vivant can be used to recreate famous paintings, as well as still frames from popular movies and films. Photographers can take well known still images from film scenes, and recreate them using their own actors and props. Tableaux vivant as a whole, is a way for photographers to capture the emotion and feelings within a single scene, using a freeze frame to show a detailed visual of what is occurring during what would usually be a fast paced moving scene.
As the final 3 choices for my studio portraiture experimentation, I have decided on the following 3 images:
For the above image, I experimented more with contrasting color and camera angles. I feel like the contrast between the bold blue of the flower and the bold red of the subjects clothing helps to draw more attention to the image, and allows for the viewer to have their eye drawn around the image, rather than focusing on just one section. The contrast between the bold colors of the subject and the background also helps to separate the background and the subject in the foreground, which in turn adds more depth to the image. In addition to the colors, I feel that this image makes use of the contrast between the shaded and light areas of the subjects face, which mimics the chiaroscuro effect often found in grey-scale photographs. I feel that this contrast also adds depth to the image, and allows the viewer to see the image as more 3D rather than 2D.
The above image makes use of more abstract shadows, created by holding torn paper in front of the key light in the studio. I feel like the effect that this caused created an interesting pattern of shadows, which in turn will draw the attention of the viewer. With this image, I attempted to experiment more with shadows, and so i neglected to use the filler light to soften the shadows, which allowed for the shadows of the subjects to remain prominent in the image. I feel like this adds to the contrasting tones and colors within the image, and overall I feel like it draws the attention of the viewer to the different contrasting areas of the image.
I feel like the above image is the best example I produced of creating a chiaroscuro effect using lighting and camera angles. A key light was used on one side of the subjects face to create this effect, and I feel like the contrast in tones between the left and right side of the face helps to show more depth in the subject. I feel that this image is the best example of me attempting to create a contrast between the light and dark portion of a subjects face. In addition, I feel like the positioning of the camera in this particular image, allows for the viewer eyes to be led directly to the face of the subject, as it is positioned straight ahead of them. I feel that this allows for the viewer to feel more personally involved with the image, and allows them to relate more to the subject and in turn, the photograph itself.
Natural lighting is often used in photography, as it often gives the environment and the subject a more natural look, and can be much more cost effective than using artificial lighting, as this requires specialist lights. Natural lighting can provide light to places where light would naturally occur anyway, and the same with shade, and so by using natural lighting, a photographer does not have to manipulate artificial lights to make the lighting match the effect they are attempting to show.
The products of my experience with using natural lighting with head shots (close ups). The lighting used in my experimentation came through a glass door, which the subject was positioned next to:
A negative of using natural lighting is that it can not be manipulated by the photographer to produce the best outcome. This means that when natural lighting is not available (it is overcast or there are no windows) the photograph will not have the right lighting.
The above 2 images are examples of what happens to the lighting when the sun is obstructed from coming straight through the window. These images appear more flat, and are too dark to allow the viewer to make out certain details. This damages the overall eye-catching effect of the images, and is something that cant be controlled when dealing wit natural lighting.
Natural lighting, in some cases, allowed for the subjects face to appear brighter and softer, which is an effect that may have been missed if harsher studio lights had been used. Using natural lighting with close-ups of subjects can, however, mean that some of the detail within the facial features of the subject is lost, and the positioning of the lighting and its intensity cannot be manipulated.
For my experimentation into using lighting in a studio setting, I decided to also incorporate a number of camera skills into my experimentation as well, to produce the best products possible.
The lighting in the studio consisted of a key light, and a soft box light. the key light was used to illuminate the face of the subject, and to alter the overall lighting of the image, whereas the soft box light was used to manipulate shadows, softening them where necessary to alter the appearance of the image.
The following images are of contact sheets I have created including all of my studio portraits:
Key: Red F = out of focus, Red C.A = wrong camera angle, Green L = slightly off lighting , Green F = slight focus issue, Red O.E = over exposed, Red Cross = rejected, Green Box = finals for editing
The final images before the editing process can be found below:
After deciding on which images should be processed to the editing stage, I used Photo-shop to manipulate the colors and tones of the images to make them as eye-catching and effective as possible.
The aftermath of editing can be seen below:
The above 2 images are photographs are examples of me attempting to create a chiaroscuro effect, where 1/2 of the face of the subject is illuminated using studio light, and the other portion is shadowed, to create a contrast between the 2 portions of the same subject. This is very effective when trying to draw attention to the depths of the subject, and it helps to bring the image to life, giving it more of a 3D effect.
Some of the images were over saturated due to the lighting in the studio and the original position of the camera, and so I attempted to edit some of the images to reduce the saturation, and make the coloring of the images more natural. This kind of editing occurred in the above 2 images.
For some of my photographs, I experimented with using different filters in front of the lighting, to create different effects of the image. Colored filter paper was used to manipulate the overall color of the photograph, but for the above photograph, a piece of paper covered in holes was held in front of the key light. I think this created an interesting shadow effect, and helps to draw more attention to the photograph, and gives the viewer more to look at.
The above 2 examples are example of props being used in studio photography. Props are often easier to use and manipulate in a controlled environment like a studio, rather than in a natural setting. The props in the above image can be used to create a contrast to the colors of the subject, thus breaking up the color of the image and creating more areas for the subject to have their attention drawn to, and can in certain circumstances be useful in conveying meaning and reason in an image.
Overall, I believe that experiencing the different kind of lighting that can be used in a studio setting has allowed me to understand how much having control over the lighting of an image can effect the final outcome of the photograph. Natural lighting is useful to create a natural effect in an image, however for situations where natural lighting is not possible, or when a particular angle or intensity of lighting is required, using studio lighting can be very useful.
Lighting is an important aspect of studio photography, as it allows for certain parts of the subject to be emphasized, and other parts softened. Lighting can also impact how an audience responds to an image, as harsh, cold colored lighting can give an image a sense of seriousness and professionalism, whereas softer, warmer colored lighting can make an image seem more friendly and relatable.
Natural lighting is often used in photographs that are taken in public places and nature, however is a photographer wants a very specific photograph that requires all aspects of the image to be controlled, then studio lighting can be useful to produce the effect that the photographer wants without having to wait for natural lighting the change.
1,2 and 3 point lighting:
Photographs can be taken using a variety of different lights, which are all used to produce different types of lighting in an image, the lights typically used in studio photography are called the key light, the filler light and the back light.
1 point: 1 point lighting typically uses just the key light. The key light is the main light used in studio photography, and is used to light the part of the subject that needs to be the brightest. It is usually used to illuminate the face of the subject in portraiture photography, and is the most important light used out of the 3. 1 point lighting usually places the key light to the side of the subject, so that one side of the face is illuminated, and a shadow is cast over the other side, thus giving the subject more depth, and creating a chiaroscuro effect on the subject.
This image is an example of how a photographer has used a key light to create a chiaroscuro effect on the subject. The light illuminates only 1/2 of the subject, while the other 1/2 remains in darkness. Using 1 point lighting in this scenario helps to emphasis the contrast between the light and dark areas more effectively.
2 point: 2 point lighting makes use of both the key light and the filler light. The key light is still used to illuminate the most important part of the subject, whereas the filler light is used to fill in the shadows that are produced by the key light, and to soften them. Softening the shadows created but the subject in a photograph can help draw maximum attention to the subject themselves, and the illusion of the photograph is kept, as the viewer isn’t drawn to the fact that lights were used to create the effects they see.
This image makes use of 2 point lighting, which helps to illuminate the entire face of the subject. The image does not have a shadow present in the background, which is most likely due to the inclusion of a filler light used to soften it out.
3 point: 3 point lighting uses the key light, the filler light and the back light. The filler and key lights still work the same, and the back-light is added behind the subject, to create a glowing effect around the online of them. Back-light can be used to separate the subject from the background, and to create a sense of perspective and depth in the image.
Here, 3 point lighting has been used to illuminate the outline of the subject, as well as to illuminate the subjects face evenly. The back light helps to separate the subject from the background, the fill light softens the shadows produced by the subject, and the key light illuminates the face of the subject effectively.
The number of lights used to create the lighting for an image greatly impacts the final outcome of the image, and so its important that a photographer experiments with all lights in order to find the correct combination for their photograph.
Fill Lighting:
Fill lighting is a light that is used in a studio to fill in the shadows caused by other lights, and to soften or remove them from a photograph.
Fill lighting in portraiture usually allows for the subject and the background to become more clearly distinct (without the distraction of a shadow blending the 2 together slightly) and so the final produce appears to have more depth, despite the image being 2D.
Professional examples of photographers using fill lighting can be seen below:
This photograph makes use of the fill light, as the positioning of the subject means that the background makes up a relatively large portion of the photograph, and so distinguishing between the subject and the background is important.This image shows the difference between using fill light and key light, or just using fill light or key light. Using both makes the subjects face appear brighter, more alert and softer than just using one of the lights
Fill lighting is another example of how different lights can be used together to manipulate the overall lighting for a photograph.
Spill Light:
Spill light refers to the light that illuminates surfaces beyond the area that is intended on being illuminated, It is light that, for example, illuminates a part of the background that does not need to be illuminated. Spill light is usually something that photographers want to avoid, because it can draw attention away from the main subject of a photograph, and can make an image seem more flat and unfocused.
Below is an example of spill light and how it can effect an image:
The image above shows an example of how excess light can become spill light. If the light is focused on a specific point, the majority of the light will focus on that point, however some of the light will “spill” out, and illuminate the parts of the background that do not need to be illuminated. Spill light can be controlled more by focusing the light on a smaller area, as the spill light will not be as significant.
Chiaroscuro:
Chiaroscuro in photography refers to the contrasting areas of extreme dark and extreme light that can be presented on a subject. In portraiture, this usually occurs on the face of the subject, and can be very effective if paired with a black and white color scheme.
Chiaroscuro can give the subject of the image more depth, and can help to make the subject seem more 3D and real, regardless of the image itself actually being flat. Examples where chiaroscuro has been used by professional photographers can be seen below.
In some instances, incorporating color into a photograph that uses chiaroscuro can be even more effective than using grey scale. the above image is an example of this instance, as the contrasting colors between the skin tones of the subject, paired with the extreme light and dark of the chiaroscuro effect, allows for the photograph to draw maximum attention from the viewer.Chiaroscuro is often most striking and eye catching when paired with a grey scale image, as the areas of contrast are emphasized much more. The above image is an example of the contrast that can be created between the 2 portions of a subjects face when this effect is used.Images that use chiaroscuro can also really emphasis the use of the dark spaces in the image, for example the above image uses shadow to conceal the identity of the subject, and leaves only a few features exposed to light in order to see the outline of some of the subjects features. This is an effective technique, as it incorporates a sense of mystery into the image.
Chiaroscuro makes use of the contrasting tones created using different lighting techniques to exaggerate the light and dark portions of a subjects face. Typically a key light would be pointed at the subject from an angle, so that a harsh light illuminated 1/2 of the subject, while the other 1/2 remains in the shadow caused by the lack of light.
An example of where I have used chiaroscuro in my own photography can be seen below:
This image was created using a key light directed to the left side of the subjects face, and the other side of the subjects face received no light, and so the contrast between the light and dark portions of the face can be clearly seen.
John Rankin Waddell is a British portrait and fashion photographer. He often works with celebrities and well known figures, using portraits to emphasize certain qualities of the subject, which are then used in adverts, billboards and other promotional material.
A lot of Rankin’s photography focuses on close up head-shots of the subject, using a variety of facial expressions and props to create an interesting and intriguing image. Rankin makes use of both grey-scale and colored photography, and through using a studio as the setting for most of his portraits, the background of the image is often left a bold white, which draws maximum attention to the subject in the foreground.
Examples of Rankin’s portraiture work can be seen below:
Rankin’s work often experiments with color and tone, using grey-scale to accentuate certain areas of the face, whereas in other photographs bold and eye-catching colors are used to draw more attention to the shapes and features of the subject.
In response to my study into Rankin, I have produced a series of portrait images that were taking in a studio, to mimic the work of Rankin himself, the following images are what I have produced.
For an experimentation into focal length, AF/MF, focal points and depth of field, I took a variety of photographs using these techniques, so that I can compare them.
In the above gallery, the top 2 rows of images were taken using Auto-focus, where the camera automatically focused on a focal point, and the bottom 2 rows used manual focus, where I physically adjusted the camera lens in order to adjust the focus and focal point.
I discovered that using manual focus allows for more control over the focal point of the image, and overall allows for a the focal point of the image to be focused on more easily.
Portraits have been an important and popular form of art throughout history, and even before the invention of photography, sculpts and paintings of people were used to convey messages and meaning, and to make the artwork more relatable.
Ancient Egypt is an example of a well known era that made use of creating human portraits to express meaning ans stories through artwork.Cave paintings depict portraits of human figures, showing that the fascination with creating portraits of humans has been an important part of human history.
Portrait photography began in the mid 1800’s, as the development of cameras meant that the necessary exposure time dropped from 15 minutes to 10 seconds, making it possible for a human subject to have their photograph taken. Portraits at the time were expensive, and so most portraits of the time depict more wealthy, upper class members of society.
The relatively long exposure time meant that the poses held by the subjects were often unimaginative, as anything else would be difficult to maintain for 10 seconds, and portraits typically involved the subject maintaining an expressionless face (holding a natural, steady smile for 10 seconds was difficult).
With the development of technology during the 20th century, the way that portraits were taken also developed. Cameras became more widespread, and portraits became increasingly popular and more widely available. Exposure time yet again decreased, opening u the opportunity for subjects to try out more interesting poses, smile, and therefore create more natural, engaging photographs. Photography could now be used for things such as advertisements, and people grew more aware of portraits.
Modern portrait photography is no longer limited by things such as a long exposure time, black and white film or bulky cameras. The development of editing and special effects has allowed for portraits to become more experimental, and where they once portrayed a subject how they really were, they can now be used to convey messages and meaning.
Candid photography is the process of capturing an image without posing the subject beforehand. it usually captures a subject in their natural environment, behaving as they normally would with little to no engagement with the camera.
Candid photography helps to convey to the viewer what it is like to be in that environment, and gives a realistic perspective of what it would be like to be in that place at that time. It is the most natural form of photography available, as it requires very little preparation, and simply makes use of the situation already occurring.
The following images are professional examples of candid photography:
By: Maxphotographic.comBy: https://www.iamlivingit.com/photography/candid-photographyBy: Rob CartwrightBy: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Photos/Studio-31-Office-Photos-IMG1973125.htm
Street Photography:
“Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts.” – Garry Winogrand
“If you can smell the street by looking at the photo, its a street photo.” – Bruce Gilden
“The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.” – Robert Doisneau
“I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.” – Diane Arbus
“I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed.” -Garry Winogrand
Street photography involves capturing images of individuals who are not aware that the photograph is being taken, in public settings. As apposed to the more vague definition of candid photography, street photography often occurs in specifically urban settings, with more noise and action occurring in a single image, and with less specific subjects (the subjects arrive by chance/ the photographer doesn’t control who they are). Street photography is used by many artists to encapsulate the genuine emotions of everyday people, using a snap shot to give a detailed visual description of a moment in an average day, that many viewers would relate to .
The following are examples of street photographs taken by professional photographers:
