Why do we use studio lighting?

Studio lighting offers the photographer control over the final image. Studios are simple rooms with no windows so there’s no sunlight involved. The walls are black or white so there’s no colour introduced. There’s a simple backdrop using a roll of white or black material.  There’s also lots of space for the model and equipment to move around.

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

One of the oldest lighting technique is called three point lighting. It is vastly used in studio photography. It is also a good basis for any portrait photograph. In this technique you use three lights:

• The first light is key light. This is usually the strongest light and this light sets the lighting of the scene.
• The second light is called a fill light, this light helps fill the shadows that the main light casts.
• The last light is called a backlight and it provides definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provides a three dimensional look.

What is fill lighting?

Fill light is a form of additional light mainly used to lighten up shadows in an image. It is often used in portrait photography to create contrast between the subject and the background giving the scene a sense of depth. In this situation the use of fill lighting reduces the overall dynamic range of the scene allowing for easier selection of exposure settings required to capture an image. When fill light is correctly applied it does not impact the main light source of an image.

What is spill lighting?

Spill light is the light that illuminates the surfaces beyond the area intended to be illuminated. 

What is Chiarascuro ? 

It is a photography technique and can be referred to as extreme low key. It means strong and bold contrast between light and dark areas in photography. It is well suited for portraits and giving the illusion of being three dimensional. It adds depth and a more mysterious atmosphere as it creates contrast between highlights and shadows in a photo.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography. He pioneered the genre of street photography and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment. He was also one of the founding members of Magnum photos in 1947. Working in black and white, his photographs seem to distill the chaos life into something pure. His refusal to either crop or manipulate his image feel provocative and refreshing and allows the modern viewer to see things exactly as they were.

In early 1947, Cartier Bresson, with Robert Capa, David Seymour, William Vandivert and George Rodger founded Magnum photos. Magnum was a cooperative picture agency owned by its members. The team split photo assignments among the members. Cartier-Bresson would be assigned to cover India and China. He achieved international recognition for his coverage of Gandhi’s  funeral in India in 1948 and the last stage of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

This photograph was taken in Sevilla a couple of years before the Spanish civil war. The image depicts young children socialising in ruins. The children are clearly in poverty judging by their clothing, dirt on their bodies and footwear. The fact that children are playing  in times of war (1930), it could be the photographer trying to convey war as just children playing games, which as a former soldier he is entitled to believe. Almost all of the children seem to be looking at the camera in a rather suspicious and disturbed manner which may be because of the unsafe environment they live in. Tension can be seen through the children’s faces which could also be what he is trying to convey to the rest of the world. He is showing what effect violence is having on innocent children through this photograph.

Definitions 

Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random events within public places. Street photography can focus on people and their behavior in public.

A candid photograph is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. This can be achieved in many ways, for example when the subject is in motion, by surprising the subject, by not distracting the subject during the process of taking photos etc.

Articles about street photography

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-for-street-photography/

https://digital-photography-school.com/ultimate-guide-street-photography/

Quotes

"if your photos aren't good enough, then you're not close enough" - Robert Capa

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter" - Alfred Eisenstaedt

Threshold concept #7

The meanings of photographs are never fixed, are not contained solely within the photographs themselves and rely on a combination of the viewer's sensitivity, knowledge and understanding, and the specific context in which the image is seen.

August Sander was a German photographer who attempted to produce an extensive photographic document of German people. He was the son of a mine worker, and Sander did the same work initially as his father. He got his first camera in 1892 and took up photography as a hobby. After the military he pursued it professionally, working in a series of photographic studios in Germany. By 1904 he had his own studio in Linz and after his army service in World War I he settled permanently in Cologne and became friends with photographers and painters dedicated to the New Objectivity. After photographing local farmers near Cologne, Sander was inspired to produce a series of portraits of German people from all levels of society. His portraits were usually sharp, photographed straight on in natural light, while the subjects class and profession was shown through clothing, gesture, and backdrop.

Contextual: Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer. During the nazi period he struggled to maintain his job. This image was in Sander’s portrait photo book ‘Face of our Times’ which was published in 1929, and also appears in the first volume of Sander’s incomplete project ‘People of the twentieth century’ which was planned as an extensive series of portraits of the German population, classified into seven groups by social class. These farmers, influenced by popular culture and advertising, may represent a trend that saw workers move away from the land towards the city.

Visual: There are three figures standing in the foreground against an out of focus landscape. The repetition of each figure’s posture, their walking sticks, dark suits, and hats creates a lateral rhythm across the picture plane. Each figure is looking directly at the camera. The shapes of their heads and hats are depicted against the blank sky. Their expressions are serious. Their shared pose is a mixture of formal (stiff posture) and informal (cigarette. They appear to be on their way to an event and have dressed up formal. They are not in their usual work clothes. The rule of thirds is used to locate each figure from left to right and top to bottom. There is also an implied movement from left to right since their feet are pointing towards their destination.

Technical: Apparently this image was taken with a large format glass plate camera on a tripod with a long shutter speed ( common in portrait photographs). The photographer uses available early evening light. Shallow depth of field can also be seen through the image which has been caused by a relatively wide aperture and focal length of the lens.

An environmental portrait is a portrait captured  in the subjects usual environment, such as in their home or workplace. The setting typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, it is thought that you will be able to better illuminate their character, and therefore portray the essence of their personality, rather than their physical features. Photographing a person in their natural surroundings will make the subject feel more comfortable so they will express themselves more, as opposed to in a studio, which can be a rather intimidating and an artificial experience. The background is an important aspect in environmental portraiture and is used to show further information about the person being photographed. Small apertures and a large depth of field are mostly used in this type of photography. The symbolism expressed through the various elements in the background are effective when taking an environmental portrait.

Alfred Krupp was an armanents manufacturer who used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis. When finding out that Newman was a jew, Krupp refused to let him take the photograph. Newman insisted to have Krupp look at his portfolio before making a final decision and after seeing Newman’s portfolio he accepted. On July 6th, 1963 they both went into a delict factory in Essen which belonged to Krupp, where Newman decided to make Krupp look as evil as he can under the eerie, demonic lighting of the factory. When Krupp initially saw his portrait he was furious. Newman said “as a jew, it’s my own little moment of revenge”. Krupp in this image is in an elevated position which is important because it shows his declaration that he is the highest authority within these premises, he is the man responsible for all that happens. Krupp is situated in the centre of the image and the lens mostly focuses on his face rather than the background;This emphasises his facial features and gesture. Krupp is slightly leaning forward and clasping his fingers together under his chin. He is staring directly at the camera in an eerie, sinister way with a sort of grin on his face. He’s also wearing a suit and appears to be in a formal position. In the background you can see his factory which gives the impression that Krupp is in charge. The fact that the background is lighter than the foreground makes Krupp appear evil since he seems to be surrounded by darkness. This image makes me feel on edge since he looks like he’s done something  evil. It seems like he’s staring right into the depth of your eyes which makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The whole image seems wicked which is mostly created through the eerie lighting and his facial features.

Portrait photography is a photograph of a person or group of people that captures the personality of the subject by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A photographer’s goal is to take a carefully decided photograph of a person’s distinguishing facial features, while capturing the person’s attitude, identity and personality. Frequently, portraits are taken for special occasions, such as weddings or school events.