A group portrait of two or more members of the family where you are constructing an image that tells a story. This image can be naturally observed or staged. The main focus is conveying a sense of narrative.
DETAIL SHOT:
Focus on detail of a person or a close up that conveys something about the individual character or identity e.g. age, race, gender, sexuality, fashion, hobby, lifestyle etc.
ALAIN LABOILE
La Familie
Alain Laboile is a father of six. Through his photographic work he celebrates and documents his family life. His work reflects their way of life, revolving around their childhood. Although his work is deeply personal, it is also accessible, addressing human nature and allowing the viewer to enter his life and reflect on their own childhood. His eye for beautiful compositions, along with his choice to shoot in black and white, gives his photographs a timeless feel and make them seem as though they could have been a part of anyone’s childhood. Laboile describes his family’s life as “atypical”. Lots of Western families these days find themselves living in urban settings, unlike the rural area his children explore in his photos.
An environmental portrait is a portrait captured in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and usually highlights the subject’s life and surroundings. By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, the photographer will be able to illuminate their character better and therefore portray their personality rather than their physical features. It is also thought that by photographing a person in their natural surroundings , the subject will be more at ease, as opposed to in a studio which portrays an artificial experience.
CANDID PORTRAIT:
A candid portrait is where the subject is unaware that a photo has been taken. The idea of a candid portrait is to capture people acting naturally. They should be unaware they are being photographed, as their behaviour often changes once they become aware of the camera.
ALEC SOTH
I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating is a slim book including 35 photographs. The domestic interiors captured in his photographs illuminate the subjects who lives in them. When capturing portraits he looks for interesting people and interesting spaces: “They can be male or female, young or old, rich or poor. The main thing is to have an intimate encounter that is visually strong”.
The reporter Sean O’Hagan, who wrote an article about Alec Soth for the Guardian, watched him work up close as he photographed people who lived in “interesting spaces”. Apparently Soth uses a large glass plate camera on a tripod. The process is difficult and requires patience from the sitter, who has to remain still while Soth sets up the shot, disappearing for a long amount of time under a large blanket. He works in a Victorian way which is more suited for outdoor photography. Under the blanket Soth tries to get things in focus. It’s a camera built to photograph landscapes and Soth is using it in constricted interior spaces. It’s hard work for Alec Soth to take a photograph but nothing else comes close when it comes to capturing light and texture.
To experiment with my portrait images of Joan Tapley, I decided to explore different ways I could change one image in order to create various final outcomes. For each outcome to have a unique effect, I manipulated the filter and adjustments using Lightroom as well as adding a frame on Photoshop where I had to use the blending modes. I chose to edit one particular image from the Joan Tapley photoshoot since I thought the photo was the best outcome when responding to the photographer Ernest Baudoux. It captures Joan in a formal position, arms folded and sitting on a stool. These are all aspects that can be seen through his photography style when he captured studio portraits.
EDIT 1:
For my first edit, I produced a black and white image to represent Joan Tapley’s experience during the German Occupation in Jersey. To create a dramatic effect to this image, I decided to use the filter “B&W soft” to help emphasise the historical yet cold atmosphere during the Occupation. The filter represents the time period during World War 2 since only black and white film was available. The contrast between the shadows and highlights helps to emphasise the subjects features.
EDIT 2:
For my second edit, I decided to keep the image in colour and use the filter “High contrast” to create a sharp image. After applying the filter I decided to alter the temperature to blue to yet again bring that cold yet historical effect to my image like I did for my first edit. Her features are more prominent in this photo because of the increased adjustments for black, highlight, contrast and clarity. I decided to use the frame “Grunge overlay” due to the bold splatters and expressive marks that catch the viewers attention. Due to excessive amounts of splatters around the edges I had to use photoshop to remove some areas so Joan’s main features wouldn’t be overlapped with dots.
EDIT 3:
For my final edit, I used the filter “Aged photo” because of the warm undertones depicted in the image. The filter creates a vintage effect which helps to represent the time period during the German Occupation in Jersey. There is minimal contrast to create a soft look for the subject. The image appears distressed which has been created through the use of the frame with scratches. Like the previous edit I had to use photoshop to get rid of unwanted scratches in areas which were overlapping Joan’s face.
I manipulated this image in editing so that the door frame is completely vertical, despite this making the wall in the centre of the image slightly slanted. The image was taken with the idea of having two halves of the image; One plain and one full of tones and textures that are lacking in the opposite side.
Visual:
This photograph has two clear halves; the plain white wall and the door, frame and hanging items of clothing. The white wall however, isn’t completely white. Due to the reflection of the light passing through a sky light window there are warm tone and cool tone patches, creating an interesting beaming effect on the wall. The other half consists mainly of black, white and grey items of clothing, which break up the image. The multi-tone dress in the centre of the door is the focal point of the entire image, helping to add texture and an interesting pattern.
Conceptual/Contextual:
The concept behind this image and the entire ‘Home-Sweet-Home’ photoshoot was to shoot my house in quite a simple, cool tone yet visually (aesthetically) appealing way. For this reason I decided to photograph an array of dull clothes and a slightly colourful reflection of sunlight to create a balanced yet contrasting image.
I started this photoshoot in the afternoon hours of the day and then continued on inside when the natural light dimmed. I feel this photoshoot was successful however I feel if I was to give it another go I would take wider shots of some of my interior. Below shows the contact sheet opened in Lightroom after my photoshoot, this includes all of my photographs that I took which I will then go through and flag so that I can experiment with different ones to create the best outcomes possible.
Contact Sheets and refining:
Contact Sheet
Contact Sheet
Flagged Photographs
4-5 Star
For my selective process I went through and flagged up all of what I thought would be a first round of best photographs, my really good ones and ones that maybe could get better as an outcome with some editing involved. Next I went through every flagged image only, separated the off and stared them all out of 5 stars, using 3’s and 4’s mostly as a decider of my better images and ones I will not choose to edit. I singled out my 4 star photographs to start looking into editing them and also producing some outcomes that could either be viewed by themselves or as a double or triple display.
Editing:
Editing Process: Colour
Editing Process: Colour
While editing my coloured photographs I knew I wanted to create quite warm-toned photographs, compared to being colder-toned, this is because I personally enjoy warm/yellow light compared to white light and I feel editing to a higher temperature and contrast it helps to create the effect and illusion of warm light and a warm toned image even if it wasn’t there in camera originally due to the time of day maybe. I have chosen to make them warm-toned as I personally feel that it makes me relate to and think of it being more homely and welcoming which I think of with the ideas of Home-Sweet-Home.
Editing Process: Black and White
Editing Process: Black and White
While editing my black and white photographs I used these as a slight experiment, while developing and editing I felt myself preferring the coloured photographs however felt that some of the interior shots that I produced work well in high-contrast black and white which is where I took these experiments along.
Edited Photographs and Outcomes:
I feel that this photoshoot went well, I feel that my exterior photographs went better than my interior shots, however all together I feel they work well and the exteriors help to bring up the interiors.
Below I have my personal favourite outcomes from the photoshoot and the editing. I feel they are successful being displayed in a trio together as they are all linked and are following the same warm-toned colour scheme.
The rational behind my further exploration was that I wanted to explore different ways in which I could change one of my Bob Le Sueur images, in order to create different effects. I looked at experimenting with different tools on Lightroom in order to explore the effect they give, and how they compliment other effects. I then also looked at making the photograph more contemporary, in a photomontage style, in order to create a new conceptual meaning towards my work. Within this piece of work I selected my three top images, based on camera technique and overall ascetic of the photograph, and created three different edits for each one showcasing this exploration.
Photograph 1 Edit Exploration:
For my first edit, I decided to make a colour edit which allows the formal element of Colour and Texture. To make this photograph work, I decided to allow the structure and clarity of the photograph to be strong. I also decided to add in vignetting allowing the corners to be darker, forcing my subject to be the main focal point within the photograph. I believe this edit is successful due to the warmth presented with the lighting, as well as the detail on the skin, helping to present the contextual and conceptual elements of the photograph.
Picture Guide To how Edit was Achieved:
Comparison of Original and Edit
For my second edit with this photograph, I produced a black and white design which is similar to the colour. I felt that having the photograph in black and white will allow the detail and structure, formal elements, to be clearly showcased through the contrast in tonal regions within the frame. This artistic intention has allowed a clearer conceptual and contextual reasoning within the image. I also like the fact that the subject stands out from the background, drawing attention to itself, thus making it the main focal point.
Comparison of Original and Edit
C
For my final edit I decided to take a more contemporary approach to my work, and created a surrelism photomontage. I used the black and white photograph from above and transferred the file onto photoshop. To achieve this effect I duplicated the layer (ctrl + J) and then moved it slightly to the left/right turning down the opacity allowing the bottom layer to still be seen. The distorted effect, allows the concept of how Bob’s war memories has affected him and changed his outlook on life. I really like the way in which this edit turned out, due to distorted and disorientating ascetic it holds.
Photograph 2 Edit Exploration:
For my next experimentation I selected the photograph of Bob looking towards the side, showing his better side, which has more detail allowing the formal elements of texture and shape to be presented within the composition. The lighting makes his face naturally darker, almost creating a chiaroscuro affect, thus having the photograph in black and white allows the tonal regions to be showcased.
Comparison of Original and Edit
For my next edit, I used the black and white edit, slightly adjusting the structure and clarity, allowing the detail to be showcased better, creating an overall more detailed and visually better photograph. I then decided to add a large vignetting, white, which allows the portrait to be framed, creating a stylistic portrait, like shown on a memorial paper. This artistic design allows the contextual factors of Bob to be shown, on top of the conceptual factor that Bob before the war has died and has changed and developed into a better person due to the event of the war.
Comparison of Original and Edit
For my final design using this photograph, I decided to turn the photograph into colour. This design is not as successful as the black and white, due to the lack of detail and texture being presented. However, it still showcases my ability to experiment in colour and black and white, and critically evaluate my final designs. I like the warmth presented on Bob’s face, presented through the colour and lighting used, as well as the chiaroscuro effect clearly showcased within the design.
Comparison of Original and Edit
Photograph 3 Edit Exploration:
My final photograph used was the macro shot of Bob’s hand allowing the detail of my subjects skin to be showcased, on top of presenting a whole new conceptual meaning towards my portrait. My first design with this photograph is in black and white, allowing the contrast in tonal regions to be shown. It also has a darker atmosphere towards the photograph, which allows the conceptual factors to present the horrors of the war, creating a whole new meaning towards my photographic response to Bob’s stories.
Comparison of Original and Edit
My second edit utilising this photograph, I decided to adjust the settings to the extremes, either end of the Bipolar scale. This included having the structure to the higher end and the whites and blacks on bipolar ends, allowing the detail in his skin to be showcased clearer, really showcasing the formal elements of detail, shape and texture. I also decreased the saturation of the photograph, which as allowed the colours to not seem as vibrant, which reinforces the statement mentioned above. This is my most successful photograph within the experimentation, due to ascetic and new conceptual reasonings it brings to my work.
Comparison of Original and Edit
For my final design of this photograph I decided to produce a colour version of the image. To do this I wanted the detail and texture of the skin and cane to still be presented, so I ensured the structure and sharpness of the photograph was high. I also decided to make the image naturally darker, having more shadows which allows a sense of space to be presented, on top of a more sinister mood, implying the horrors of the war as conceptual and contextual reference.
Comparison of Original and Edit
Top Photograph From Each Experimentation:
Evaluation:
Within this further exploration I have been able to experiment with different tools on Lightroom as well as going back onto photoshop to create a surrealism photomontage. I have been able to present different conceptual values to these documentary style portraits. In addition, I have shown my ability to present the same portrait in three different ways, with different artistic intentions allowing my creativity to be presented. This exploration was helpful as I have been able to produce outcomes which I would not usually do, which are successful and are some of my stronger outcomes. In addition, I am happy with the three final outcomes as I think they clearly present Bob’s stories of the war as well as presenting a visually stimulating photograph with a clear ascetic. One thing I have found is that these portraits work better in black and white or with lower saturation due to the detail and texture of the skin, which is emphasise through the contrast in tonal regions. To conclude, I have been able to produce successful outcomes, and evidence of me exploring with my photographs, showcasing my competence on photo editing structure.
Joan Tapley, a living survivor of the German occupation in Jersey came to our school to tell us her really interesting stories of how it was like for her living in Jersey during the occupation and how she and her family survived it. After that she was kind enough to let us photograph her and take portraits of her in the schools studio, so i chose the best one of these portraits and i edited it to make three different versions of it.
The Original Photograph
This is the best portrait i chose in the end as i really like Joan’s pose and face texture along with the great angle in where there’s some clear light on her left and then on the other side there’s a reflection of light, so this adds so much vibrancy and color to the photograph.
The Edits:
1)
first thing i did after choosing the photograph i want to work with is change the colors in it by adjusting everything from exposure to temperature manually until i came up with this really colorful portrait
2)
after editing the photograph i imported it to Photoshop cc where i embedded a frame behind it and binded them together to produce this really alien like color feature to the portrait and it really caught my eye so i decided to make it one of my three final edits
3)
Using one of light-rooms automatic filters i turned the original photograph into black and white, then i did some changes like raising up the contrast, after i was done editing it i embedded a frame on top of the image o make it look like an old style image.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the purpose of this blog post is to improve my editing skills and to prove how many different forms someone can create from one photograph.
After making adjustments to the original image I saved it twice, once in color and then editing the other one into black and white. To convert my image into black and white, I lowered the exposure on the image, only slightly and then went into adjustments and changed the image to black and white. I then adjusted the colors within the image so i could increase the darker and lighter patches within the image to make it stand out more and make her features bolder
These are my final images of my portraits of Joyce. The adjustments I made helped define the features on Joyce, like her skin complexion, which enhances her age, as the shadows under her eyes make her look older which enable the audience to see her age and imagine her history. I converted the same image into black and white, this is because during the younger ages of Joyce’s life, photographs where in black and white as they had not yet discovered colored images. However, the bottom left hand side of the image is lighter than the top right hand side, which creates a fade effect. This looks okay on the black and white image, however on the colored image it doesn’t look right.
Similar to the portraits of Joyce, with the portrait of Hedley and Joyce I made adjustments in color, saved it twice and the edited one of them into black and white. The settings were slightly different to the one person portrait, as Hedley had different colors to Joyce, so I had to balance them out, but enough to still show the complexion within their skin sand their features showing their growing age.
These are my final images of the portraits of Hedley and Joyce. When photographing two people I had to change the way the lighting was positioned otherwise the shadows created by Hedley would’ve been projected onto Joyce taking away the boldness of the image. I learnt that photographing two people together, a lot more planning has to go into it, so they compliment each other.
To the images of Joyce I added a frame around the portrait as I felt that it would add age to the image. I opened the original black and white portrait in Photoshop, then copy and pasting a frame from my folder onto the image of Joyce, this allowed me to stretch the image over Joyce. Above the two layers I had create was a drop down box with different settings, once selected the layer with the frame on it, I clicked on the drop down box and selected ‘Normal’. The using my right key, I slowly went through the different settings, this changing how the frame sat on the image, and what parts of the image it covered. Once I selected the frame I preferred, I then re-saved the image as a new image (JPEG). The frame I picked makes the image look as if it was taken on a film camera with the border surrounding it, as if the ink in the photo has bleed around the outside slightly, this adds age as film cameras are associated with war and the 19th century. The frame adds character to the image and makes it stand out as it inst just a standard portrait, with the knowledge I have on Joyce and her experience during the occupation I feel this frame fits her past.
With the images I took of Hedley and Joyce I then again added frames to them, I experimented with different types of frames as show above. I executed the same steps as I did when I was adding a frame to the images of Joyce. I decided t use the white frames on both images. It gave the colored image a rounded shape, acting like it had been destroyed and these were the pieces that were left from the war, which again as they both experienced the occupation it fits well with their stories, the same thing with the black and white images, adding a frame which gives the image a damaged look, gives the image character and effect which relates back to the couple.
I took time with the images of Joyce and Hedley, I experimented with different frames, as show above in the screenshot evidence I gathered during the process.
My first assignment was to take a range of environmental portraits that help to reflect the culture, economic and social backgrounds of the subjects in the images, and to capture a series of candid images, showing un-posed life and events occurring naturally, often without the subjects knowledge that the image is being taken in order to keep a sense of naturalism. The environmental portraits are supposed to accurately reflect the subjects in the photographs, showing aspects of their personal lives, which are normally left unseen behind closed doors. As houses and homes often reflect the beliefs, social and economic classes, and culture of the individuals who live there (through belongings, style and the people themselves), I decided to take a range of images inside the subjects own houses, as well as in places they feel comfortable, that are personal to them, I order to better reflect who they are as individual people. In contrast to this, the candid photographs are meant to reflect the raw, natural events and occurrences in the subjects lives.
The first contact sheet includes all of the images from my environmental photo-shoot:
The second contact sheet includes all of the images from my candid photo-shoot:
During the editing process, I used a selection of different editing techniques. I cropped a few of my images in order to place the subject at the centre of the image sombre attention could be drawn to them, and with most other images I altered the colour balance/saturation/contrast in order to either raise of reduce the contrast of the images.
Above is a selection of some of the basic adjustments I made. I often altered the contrast of the images in order to highlight the outlines of the subject, and for a few images I altered the colour balance of the images to highest the main colour of the image (for example, emphasising the red and magenta mid-tones in the first image allowed for a highly saturated pink, which I feel produces a better example of the personality/style of the subject). Furthermore, I reduced the saturation of a number of images in order to reduce the viewers concentration on the colours, and focus more on the actions/poses of the subjects, which I feel in a number of cases is important for the reflection of the mood/meaning of the portrait.
